At Last, Rivers Commissioner Of Police CP Mbu May Be Removed This Week

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Ignatius Okpara, Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, February 4th, 2014

By IGNATIUS OKPARA

Unless there is a last minute change by the federal government, the controversial Rivers state commissioner of police, Joseph Mbu, may likely to be removed from the state before end of this week.

Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu

African Examiner gathered that the police chief may be redeployed to the National Institute for Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos, the Plateau state capital.

Though, there has not been any official statement to that effect from the police authorities, but a source close to the police service Commission PSC headquarters, hinted that the days of the controversial police commissioner in Rivers state are now numbered.

Our correspondent gathered that some politicians in Nigeria, especially those in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party PDP, are no longer comfortable with what Mbu is doing in Rivers state, hence they advised the president to sanction his removal.

It would be recalled that the pioneer chairman of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, was sent to NIPSS on a compulsory 9-month course, after his sack from office by the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua.

Commissioner Mbu, has been at logger head with Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and his Party, All Progressives Congress (APC), a development that has made many to consistently call for his removal.

Only on Monday, Mr Mbu announced the ban on all political rallies in the state.

The announcement, contained in a statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ahmad Mohammad, stated that the order became necessary because of the high level of violence in the state.

According to the statement, the ban particularly affects the Grassroot Development Initiative, GDI, the Rivers State Advancement Foundation, RIVLEAF and the newly formed Save Rivers Movement, RSM, amongst others.

Interestingly, Rivers state PDP whose CP Mbu has been obviously working for criticized the ban, a sign that shows all is not well between Rivers PDP and the police boss.

The PDP explained that after reviewing the Police decision, it seems that the Police authorities in the State have succumbed to the pressure of the Rivers State Government, the Save Rivers Movement and the All Progressives Congress, stressing that doing so “would contradict the applaudable stance of the Police in the State as an uncompromising institution.”