President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday
surprised the authorities of the Lagos State Police Command when he paid
an unscheduled visit to the Police College, Ikeja.
With the President were the Assistant
Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Mr. Mamaah Tsafe; the Commissioner
of Police, Lagos State Command, Umar Manko and other military and air
force officers.
Jonathan, who arrived at the college
premises at about 3 pm, immediately proceeded on an inspection tour of
the hostels, college kitchen, dining hall and the Officers’ Mess.
For the college authorities, the visit
was nothing short of an embarrassment as the commandant of the college,
CP I.F. Yerima was unable to tell the President how and when Channels TV
filmed the decay in the college.
In an attempt to salvage the situation,
Yerima had turned to his deputy and other senior officers of the college
for assistance but all kept mute.
Enraged, Jonathan declared the documentary by the TV station a smear campaign.
He said, “This is a calculated attempt
to damage the image of this government. The Police College, Ikeja is not
the only training institution in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, a crowd of recruits, who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the President, hailed him repeatedly for his visit.
They said, “Our number one President,
the God sent President, the President of Nigeria, among others.”
Jonathan acknowledged the cheers by raising his right hand.
However, a senior police officer of the
college told Saturday PUNCH on the condition of anonymity that the decay
in the college began more than a decade ago.
