President Goodluck Jonathan, as reported, deliberately humiliated Police Inspector General, Suleiman Abba, out of office Tuesday, delivering his decision on Twitter without an advanced communication.
By 11.23p.m. Tuesday, more than 10 hours after his removal was announced via the internet, Mr. Abba was yet to receive any brief or correspondence from the president or his representatives informing him of his removal, this paper can confirm.
A statement following the Twitter message, signed by presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati named Solomon Arase, a former Deputy Inspector General, as Mr. Abba’s replacement.
Mr. Arase, ironically, was Mr. Abba’s superior by year of service, having joined the force in 1981 while the ousted IG enlisted three years later.
But details of Mr. Abba’s sack, pieced together Tuesday, left no doubt the former police boss, who courted controversies for most of his nine-month tenure, was deliberately disgraced out of office.
Associates of Mr. Abba said of a man embittered by the rude treatment, wondering what his sins were after serving the government and the nation.
A presidency release, first on Twitter, and later as emailed statement to newsrooms, offered little information about the dismissal beyond providing details of the replacement and the immediacy of the succession.
The statement, signed by Mr. Abati, said Police IG Abba was standing down “with immediate effect”.
Yet, several hours after the announcement, Mr. Abba, without a communication or brief from either the president or any senior administration official, remained at his desk Tuesday, explaining to associates who telephoned to inquire, that he was unaware of a sack, several sources said.
The first tweet announcing the sack was made by Mr. Abati at 1.24p.m, and repeated at 1.47p.m, Tuesday. Mr. Abati later issued a statement at 1.46p.m in which he named Mr. Arase as the president’s choice as new IG. The statement gave no reasons for Mr. Abba’s removal.
When contacted by a friend at about 3p.m., Mr. Abba said he had not been informed of any sack and that he was at work.
As of 11. 23 p.m. shortly before midnight Tuesday, he repeated the claim, saying he had not received any communication, electronically or by paper.
By 11.23p.m. Tuesday, more than 10 hours after his removal was announced via the internet, Mr. Abba was yet to receive any brief or correspondence from the president or his representatives informing him of his removal, this paper can confirm.
A statement following the Twitter message, signed by presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati named Solomon Arase, a former Deputy Inspector General, as Mr. Abba’s replacement.
Mr. Arase, ironically, was Mr. Abba’s superior by year of service, having joined the force in 1981 while the ousted IG enlisted three years later.
But details of Mr. Abba’s sack, pieced together Tuesday, left no doubt the former police boss, who courted controversies for most of his nine-month tenure, was deliberately disgraced out of office.
Associates of Mr. Abba said of a man embittered by the rude treatment, wondering what his sins were after serving the government and the nation.
A presidency release, first on Twitter, and later as emailed statement to newsrooms, offered little information about the dismissal beyond providing details of the replacement and the immediacy of the succession.
The statement, signed by Mr. Abati, said Police IG Abba was standing down “with immediate effect”.
Yet, several hours after the announcement, Mr. Abba, without a communication or brief from either the president or any senior administration official, remained at his desk Tuesday, explaining to associates who telephoned to inquire, that he was unaware of a sack, several sources said.
The first tweet announcing the sack was made by Mr. Abati at 1.24p.m, and repeated at 1.47p.m, Tuesday. Mr. Abati later issued a statement at 1.46p.m in which he named Mr. Arase as the president’s choice as new IG. The statement gave no reasons for Mr. Abba’s removal.
When contacted by a friend at about 3p.m., Mr. Abba said he had not been informed of any sack and that he was at work.
As of 11. 23 p.m. shortly before midnight Tuesday, he repeated the claim, saying he had not received any communication, electronically or by paper.
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