By John Odhe, YENAGOA
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Rivers and Bayelsa State Commands, Mr. Johnson Adenola has bowed out of the force, after reaching retirement age of 60 years, stating that he has no regrets despite the challenges associated with fighting crimes in Nigeria.
The AIG stated this during his farewell speech at a sent forth ceremony organised in his honour in Yenagoa by the two commands.
He thanked God for His protection during his 34 years of service in the Nigerian police force which he joined in 1992, working across the country and beyond the shores of Nigeria.
While charging officers and men of the force to be courageous and serve out their best, the AIG said “like life itself, the police is largely what one makes of it. Indolence carries a curse while dedication, discipline and integrity yield lasting rewards.
“An officer’s attitude and commitment ultimately shape both the course of their career and the legacies they leave behind.”
Adenola posited that if well equipped and adequately founded, the Nigerian police can rank amongst the best in the world.
“We have worked alongside officers from more developed and technologically advanced countries. On multiple occasions, Nigerian officers served as team leaders, with foreign colleagues under our command.
“This experience consistently confirms that Nigeria is blessed with capable, bold and courageous officers who confront danger even with little regard for personal safety. Yet, the narrative at home always portrays the force as inefficient and corrupt.
“The disparity lies not in the quality of our personnel, but in the adequacy of resources and institutional support.
“I respectfully appeal to all levels of government to increase support for the police and other security agencies. With adequate funding, modern equipment, improved training and enhanced welfare, our officers can meet global standards,” he maintained.
Thanking the two commands for their cooperations, the AIG highlighted his major achievements during his 9-moth stay at zone 16 to include restoration of discipline and public confidence in the zonal command which he said were lacking before his arrival.
He recounted that 61 officers with “questionable service records” were redeployed out of the zonal headquarters while another 73 officers were reassigned due to prolonged stay at their posts.
Another achievement, he added, was securing a piece of land for the construction of a permanent zonal headquarters along Bayelsa Palm Road in the State capital, thanking the Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri for allocating 10.07 hectares of land to the zone for the project.
The Bayelsa and Rivers States commissioners of police, Mr. Daniel Iyama Edebor and Mr. Olugbenga Adepoju described the outgoing AIG as a man who served the police force with passion and selfless dedication.
Edebor noted that the large crowd of senior officers and members of the public that attended the sent forth ceremony was a testament that the AIG is a man of respect due to his meritorious service.
Adepoju on his part emphasized that the retired AIG brought peace to the zone and discipline upon men of the two commands, adding that he would be greatly missed.
