Accord Chairman Calls of Redeployment of Osun Police Commissioner
By Waliu Adetokun, Osogbo
The Chairman of the Accord Party in Osun State, Pastor Victor Akande, has called for the immediate redeployment of the state’s Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, accusing him of partisanship and conduct capable of undermining public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.
Akande made the call in a statement issued on Saturday while reacting to recent police statements concerning the ongoing controversy over the leadership of local governments in Osun State following a Federal High Court judgment.
According to the Accord chairman, a statement titled “Re: Recent Federal High Court Judgment in Osogbo Regarding Local Government” and purportedly signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Biodun Ojelabi, was first circulated by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and did not appear on any of the official communication platforms of the Osun State Police Command.
“We wish to state categorically that we are aware the release did not emanate from the Police because it was released by Osun APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, into some WhatsApp groups and was never shared on all the official platforms of the Osun Police Command,” Akande said.
He expressed concern that rather than disowning the statement and investigating those responsible for circulating it, the police command issued another statement on the same subject.
“It is unfortunate and disappointing that instead of denying the statement and arresting its impersonators, the Ibrahim Gotan-led Osun Police issued another statement on the same subject matter,” he stated.
Akande further alleged that the second statement failed to make any reference to the earlier release, a development he said suggested that the police had taken ownership of a statement that did not originally emanate from the command.
“More disturbing is the fact that at no point in the second release did the Police reference the initial release or its content, indicating that the Police took ownership of a release that did not originally emanate from them,” he said.
The Accord chairman also maintained that the Federal High Court’s ruling on the local government matter was clear and that the affected APC chairmen remained removed from office.
“It is also instructive to note that the ruling of the Federal High Court was clear and direct. APC chairmen remain sacked and cannot demand tenure elongation, so Police cannot call for calm where it should be helping to return normalcy to the Osun Local Government Secretariats by flushing out these impostors,” he said.
Akande urged the Inspector-General of Police to pay close attention to developments in Osun State, alleging that the conduct of the commissioner had damaged the image of the police force.
“We have lost faith in the ability of Ibrahim Gotan to continue to lead the Osun Police Command. He has continued to display incompetence and partisanship, and we hereby request his immediate redeployment from Osun State,” he said.
He added that Osun State had remained peaceful before the appointment of the commissioner and expressed confidence that peace would continue to prevail in the state.