Why Buhari did not sack Arase – Presidency

Presidency on Thursday explained the reason why Solomon Arase, the immediate retired Inspector General of Police (IGP), was not sacked, but retained until the end of his tenure last Monday.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Arase IGP on April 21, to replace Sulaiman Abba, after he (Jonathan) lost the March 28, 2015, presidential election to President Muhammadu Buhari. There was wide expectation that Buhari would sack Arase upon assumption of office as president on May 29, 2015, and appoint a new IGP in line with the ‘change’ mantra of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

But Femi Adesina, special adviser on media and publicity to President Buhari, speaking in Lagos on Thursday, at the presentation of a book titled “Cascade of Change: A decade of liberal thoughts,” authored by Steve Ayorinde, Lagos State commissioner for information, said Buhari retained Arase because of Arase’s intellect and capacity as an operations’ person.

Adesina spoke about the reaction of Arase at a parting dinner organised in his honour by Buhari, saying the retired IGP had expected that he would be sacked before the end of his tenure.

“While he (Arase) was speaking at the dinner, he told the President that it was very strange for him to have been invited for a farewell dinner, because, what we know in Nigeria is that, you are sacked on pages of newspapers,” Adesina quoted Arase to have said he had the fear that he might be asked to go, since, he was inherited by the Buhari’s administration. So every day, he had the trepidation that he would hear that he had been removed.”

Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, chief host of the occasion, said his administration had laid the foundation the last one-year, and was set to continue building on the successes so far recorded, just as he acknowledged the contributions of Ayorinde to the success story.

“In the last one year, we have laid the foundation to make Lagos a globally competitive city-state. In the coming years, we will build on this foundation to move Lagos to the next level, a level of first-class infrastructure, services, economic growth and opportunities for all.

“This calls for transparency and constructive engagement with the media to spread our message. Our government will always do its part and we call on the media to be our partner as we build a Lagos State where everybody has a voice, a chance and opportunities,” he said.

The author, Steve Ayorinde, said “the book was first in the series of many that should be expected as the governor’s administration consolidates.”