The Nigeria Police is often described as the worst centre of corruption, brutality and injustice as well as the place where no officer can rise an inch without a godfather. Yet, on the day Yunusa Ogwuche signed off at the rank of Commissioner of Police and the Eastern Port Commissioner, many officer gathered to point at him as a model for true policing and sample of success without a godfather. Many pointed to him as an evidence of leading without shouting, without rancour and without acrimony.
Born May 23, 1960, at Unyi-Ogugu in Olamaboro LGA of Kogi State (formerly in Benue State), he schooled in Ugbokolo town for his secondary school and University of Calabar and graduated in 1984 (Education Science). He enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in 1986.
Since then, he attended many local and international professional courses such as International Humanitarian Law and the Law of Armed Conflict (UN Institute for Training and Research); and Executive Intelligence Management Course. He served as DPO in 14 Divisions, DCO in two Divisions, O/C State Intelligence Bureau in Minna, Niger State, Oc Anti-Fraud Section, State CID, Port Harcourt, and AC in three states.
He is a Fellow of the Institute for Security Studies, Abuja. On his retirement date, a day before his 60thbirthday, the police facility at the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) in Port Harcourt witnessed presence of top officers in the Police, Customs and top manager of the NPA who said they will never miss the event as long as Ogwuche was concerned.
The NPA MD was represented by the Rivers Ports manager while the Commissioner of police was represented by the deputy (operations), Yomi Oladimeji. The MD of PTOL was on hand, Port Manager, Onne was represented, Port Manager, Calabar, was represented by the DPO, Calabar, Customs Area Controllers Area 1, Onne was on hand and the GM of BUA was represented.
The DCP Ports made sterling remarks on Ogwuche: “You are able and healthy, that is the biggest retirement gift. It is a remarkable one, a journey of a sword; to enlist, serve, and retire in peace and good health (meritoriously). There is no iota of challenge. You can become a senator. It is good to retire in good health.
“He even objected to a ceremony, to show his level of simplicity and humility. He is a servant leader. He is a rare type in the Nigeria Police. He never shouted at any police officer. He has proved that you effectively lead Nigerians without shouting them.
You were able to wax peace and harmony between the police and Customs as well as other agencies.”
The NPA MD: Hadiza Bala Usman (represented); “I am happy with you but shocked to hear you are leaving. It is however one thing to start a career and another thing to end it and in good health. You are leaving a good record in the eastern ports. The eastern ports are some of the most notorious due to youth issues and numerous crises but there has been no single complaint in any part under your command. This is very good. Your going out shall be better than now.”
The Manager, Port Harcourt Port: Yunusa Ibrahim Anji; “I met Ogwuche in 1977 in secondary school which formed rugged training in life. Now, I met him again. He served the environment well. He is a true servant-leader.”
MD: PTOL, Denrick Moos: “This is a CP that never raises his voice. We blended as a family. Wherever you may go, let goodwill follow you.”
The Rep of the Commissioner of Police, Rivers: “I met him first in Borno where he was deputy commissioner (admin) and I was OC CID. He took matters effectively until positive result was achieved. He is a team leader, and does not hoard information. His leaving will definitely be to greater heights.”
Onu Ignala: Rivers, Audu Isa Jibrin: “This is just stepping aside, You are very strong and energetic. I will miss you here.
Port Manager, Onne (Ismalia Abubakar): “He has good skills of a team leader. To be DPO in so many stations is significant. Your years in Onne were peaceful.
Customs: Awwal Muhammed: “We are celebrating an icon. You have attained the highest promotable rank (CP) in the Police, and it’s an honour to not just retire as a CP but with a command. The zone under you has been calm. It shows that someone was busy and active.
BUA Rep; “My GM asked me to come and honor him. He moved us emotionally when he came down to see us and find out how we were doing. He is really a fine man.”
Yunusa Ogwuche!
Today is a very happy for me. This morning during prayer, we were just dancing to God. If you look back for what god has done for me, you will dance forever. Today I am retiring as a Commissioner of Police (CP), but nobody believed I could go to school, let alone get to this point.
I came from a polygamous family and my mom was the third, and the only male child. I was the one chosen to stay at home and look after my dad. The meaning in Igala culture was that you will not think of going anywhere but to serve at the footstool of your father. The highest I could aspire would be a good tapper or so.
Something happened one day. My maternal uncle living in Oturkpo was passing and my mom went to greet him (because our home was on the road). I followed her. The man called out my mom, ‘Onyeche, you have no sense!’. My mom said; what did I do? He said, ‘you have only one male child, and your mates have many, and only yours is chosen to stay home and attend to his father’. I was amazed at this statement. I thought about it. I met another boy of same fate, and I raised the topic. We decided to go to school and let the worse happen. One day, we went to school.
After school, when I was coming back, because my father was the chief of the community, to come back home was an issue. Where was I going to enter? Towards evening, I came out from hiding and came home. I greeted him but surprisingly, he responded. Wao, so? Sometime later, it was time for school fees. I was apprehensive. Who will pay for me? I asked him, and he gave me. Wao again. That was how my schooling started till the university.
Enlistment: We were all in Benue State by then. We went to Kaduna for interview as Cadet Assistant Superintendents (ASP). They were looking for five persons and we were 120. It was though. As we gathered for syndication, people started bringing out long letters given to them by prominent personalities (VIPs). They asked me about my own letter. I said nobody gave me letter oh. Everyone burst into laughter. They said, people came with long letters and you did not, why did you bother to waste your transport? So, I said, well, let me try my luck. At the end, I was number three from Benue. Applause.
That one passed. Cadet Officers used to be trained at Police College in Jos. Our own became an issue. They said they were going to give us senior inspector, not cadet not Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) again. So, they pushed us to Police College in Ikeja. When we got there and were told of our rank-to-be as mere senior inspectors, we said we were interviewed for cadet ASP, that instead, we would go.
Then, one fateful morning, the Inspector General of Police (IG, Etim Inyang) came and after addressing us, he said; my children, don’t worry, I am going to give you people your stars. Eh, jubilation! That was how it started.
The course commenced but the huddles continued. The so-called quota system that has paralysed the Nigeria police started with us. It was now according state of origin. It was very painful because the quota system can keep you on one rank while others are flying. Those of us that suffered most were from Kogi, Edo, Delta and Imo, up till now.
When we were DSP, our course-mates were already AC, waiting for DC. One day, a friend from Road Safety Corps said; what are you doing there, if I were you, I would quit. I said; let me wait for God’s time. When we reached a point, they cancelled the quota system and we started jubilating that things would be better. We continued like that until we got to DC.
It continued until a regime came and promotion was no longer on seniority. A person could come from behind. Hope was almost lost, but as God would have it, the present IG (Mohammed Adamu) came in, our amiable IG, I remove my cap for you. I pray for you that God will lead you to the very end.
He came in and said, no, due process must be followed. I said, hei! It was that same week that I was promoted to CP. In the police ranking, CP is the ceiling; any other one is political. For God to have helped me to reach the ceiling, I am so happy. So many of us that started with us are no more alive, many dismissed, so many on sick bed, cannot use their limbs, but today, here I am, hale and hearty. I am so very happy. Some mornings when I jog with my children, they should, oh daddy, you don’t get tired?
I have every cause to thank God for what he has done in my life. Help me thank God.
