President Bola Tinubu has approved that the current Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, remain in office until 2027 despite his reaching retirement age in September.
Reports had filled the media space that his tenure was extended but Channels Tv reports that the letter was not an extension of appointment but a confirmation that he should complete the four-year tenure as originally stated in his letter of appointment.
According to Channels TV who received information from a senior police officer who pleaded anonymity:
“The tenure of the IGP was not extended but rather a clarification on his letter of appointment that stipulated four years in office.”
In July, the National Assembly passed the Police Act Amendment Bill to enable a person appointed to the office of Inspector General of Police (IGP) to remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment.
The bill was expeditiously passed by lawmakers in both houses and was approved by the President.The President appointed Egbetokun as the IGP in June 2023 for four years. He was appointed alongside four new service chiefs.
According to Section 18(8) of the Police Act 2020, Egbetokun, who was born on September 4, 1964, is expected to retire in September 2024, when he clocks 60. Egbetokun has currently been in office for one year and three months in his 4 year appointment.
The controversy abounds because Egbetokun’s predecessor, Usman Baba also clocked 60 years in March 2023 and attained the mandatory 35 years of service but he remained in office until Tinubu appointed his replacement three months later.
Should the new police act supercede the service act? Why is Egbetokun treated differently from his predecessor? Is what js good for the goose no longer good for the gander?
