At Last, Mbu Redeployed …Rivers Stakeholder Hail Transfer

Co-ordinator of NIMASA, Eastern Zone, Mr Anthony Ogadi (middle), speaking while inspecting the two new gunboats acquired by the agency in Bonny, Rivers State, recently.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) yesterday announced the removal of the controversial Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mbu Joseph Mbu, and his redeployment to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with immediate effect.
Some media reports had exclusively indicated on Monday that the controversial cop, who had become a key figure in the political crisis in Rivers State, was slated for removal and reposting.
He will be replaced by Johnson Tunde Ogunsakin, who until the PSC announcement, was the commissioner in charge of the Special Fraud Investigations Unit in Lagos.
The PSC also announced the redeployment of several other commissioners, all of them to take effect immediately.
A statement issued by Mr. Ferdinand Ekpe of PSC in Abuja said the announcement is with immediate effect.
Ekpe said this development followed approval by the Chairman, Police Service Commission, Sir Mike Okiro, on the recommendations of the IGP.
He quoted the Chairman of the PSC, Sir Mike Mbama Okiro, as equally admonishing the newly redeployed officers to put in their best in their various commands’ operations, so as to provide a secure environment for business and life to thrive.
It would be recalled that the Police Service Commission had approved the recommendations of the Inspector General of Police for the redeployment of 13 commissioners of police to various commands nationwide.
The officers affected include:  CP Ambrose Aisabo, PAP, Lagos, who moves to Akwa Ibom State as commissioner of police; CP Felix O. Uyanya, Commandant, PCO, to Ekiti State as commissioner of police; CP Johnson Ogunsaki, CP SFU, to Rivers as commissioner of police; CP Abdulmajid Ali, CP EOD, to Imo State as commissioner of police; CP Benjamin U. Onwuka, deputy commandant, STAFFPOL, JOS as new commissioner of police, Kebbi State; CP Ibrahim Maishanu, Force Headquarters, Abuja as CP Osun State; and CP Adamu Ibrahim, DFS as new CP, Abia State.
Others are CP Aderenle Shinaba, Force Headquarters, as new CP Kano State; CP Mbu Joseph Mbu, CP Rivers State, now redeployed as Commissioner of police, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; CP Umaru U. Shehu, CP NAS as new CP Kaduna State; CP A.J. Abakasanga, CP Info-Tech as new CP Adamawa State; CP Kalafite H. Adeyemi, Force Headquarters, Abuja, now commissioner of police, Transport; CP Ibrahim Idris, Force Headquarters, Abuja, as new CP, NAS.
Similarly, the Nigerian Police Force yesterday bowed to public pressure for the removal of Joseph Mbu as the Rivers State Commissioner of Police.
According to a statement from the Police Service Commission on Thursday, Mr. Mbu has been transferred to the Federal Capital Territory Command, Abuja, while the Commissioner in charge of the Special Fraud Unit, Johnson Ogunshakin replaces him in Rivers State.
Mbu’s tenure as Rivers State Police boss was characterised by public mistrust and political mudslinging over his alleged partisanship in the handling of the political crisis in the State.
The State government, the All Progressive Congress and some major stakeholders within and outside the State had severally called for the removal of Mbu, accusing him of taking sides with the State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and for issuing unconstitutional directives.
In the midst of the political crisis in the State, the two Chambers of the National Assembly had last year thrown their weight behind public outcry, demanding Mbu’s removal from the State, to no avail. On Wednesday, the Senate particularly demanded that the Inspector-General of Police should appear before it next week Tuesday to explain the role of the police in the Rivers State crisis.
Also as parts of efforts to put an end to what it described as Police brutality of its members, the APC recently had embarked on political filibustering. Rising from a crucial meeting in Abuja two weeks ago, the APC directed its members to block the confirmation of the newly – appointed ministers and Service Chiefs, as well as the passage of the 2014 Appropriation bill.
It would be recalled that since the redeployment of Mbu to  Rivers State, he had been at loggerheads with the state government, issuing unconstitutional directives without prior notification and approval of the state governor.
In the wake of the crisis that engulfed the State House of Assembly in July, last year, he was alleged to have taken sides with the six lawmakers loyal to the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, after their failure to sack the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree. Since then, Mbu had ordered the closure of the Assembly complex.
Mbu was also alleged to have ordered the Police to prevent the State governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi from accessing the Government House through one of the entrances. The Police command under him also allegedly disrupted the issuance of appointment letters to 13,000 newly engaged teachers in the State last year, citing non-approval by the Police as excuse.
Also on January 12, this year, allegedly disrupted a rally by the Save Rivers Movement at the Rivers State College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, where Senator Magnus Abbey, representing  Rivers South-East Senatorial District was allegedly shot by the Police.
However, may people have reacted to the removal of Mbu from the state. The Chairman of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, Rivers State, Mr. Princewill Enyi told our correspondent that the transfer of Mbu was over due.
According to him, once there were complaints about a public officer, the best thing to do was to redeploy such a person.
He blamed Mbu for his baised stand in the political crisis in the State, advising his successor to learn from Mbu’s mistakes.
Mr. Enyi, however, appealed to the political gladiators to give peace a chance in the state.
“Mbu has gone because he was a tenant, we landlords should put our house in order and embrace peace”, he said.
The Chairman of Omuma Local Government Area, Mr. John Nnamdi Anucha described the news of Mbu’s removal as a healthy development, saying the former State Commissioner was a defecto military officer who acted without the principles of the rule of law in the State.
He explained that Mbu only came to the state to puncture the relative peace in the state.
Similarly, the Secretary, Ogbo/Egbema/Ndoni (Onelga) Chapter  of NYNC, Mr. Collins Ordu said Mbu’s removal from the state would end the lingering security crises in the state, adding that his removal was long expected. He called on the new state Police boss to work within the tenets of democray and see how he can move the state forward.
“Rivers people are not violent people, he should do his work professionally and get the best from the people of the state”, he stated.

Boye Salau, Amadi Akujobi, Beemene Taneh & John Bibor