As the Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet exits office after serving his four-year tenure, the former spy has said he is proud of having achieved numerous reforms at the National Police Service.
Boinnet was appointed to office in December 2014, promising to streamline the service which at the time was highly perceived to be tainted by corruption and where officers were accused of conducting themselves with impunity, an accusation that stills holds water to date, according to some human rights organisations.
On Monday, Boinnet outlined on Twitter some of the achievements he was able to accomplish during his tenure in office, notably highlighting a significant number of reforms he spearheaded.
He has said under his watch, the service was able to be given enough tools of work that have gone a long way in making the operations of the police easier.
For instance, he has attributed the quick response of officers in emergency situations through the motor vehicle leasing programme as part of the tools allocated to the service.
This, he says, has been able to facilitate the ease of movement of the police across the country who are on duty responding to distress calls from members of the public or when averting criminal attacks from insurgents.
The outgoing police boss adds that he was able to expedite the establishment of a group life insurance cover and comprehensive medical scheme that caters for the police and members of their families.
Other notable achievements Boinnet is proud of in his tenure is the upgrading of housing units for the police with a house allowance allocated to officers across all the ranks.
Over the years, several members of the police have been leaving in squalid conditions.
“Police officers in the general duty will henceforth rent their own houses and live within the communities they serve as opposed to living in congested police lines as has been the case since Independence. These and many other milestones have been achieved for the sole purpose of ensuring that officers discharge their duties effectively,” he said.
Boinnet also took the opportunity to commend officers who go out of their way to exercise their duties through putting their lives on the line to protect members of the public.
“We celebrate the role played by ever single officer in the service of the country, especially those working in extremely difficult circumstances, “he said.
Pursuant to Article 245 (2)(a) of the Constitution, the Inspector-General of the Service shall be appointed by the President with the approval of Parliament.
The President shall, within 14 days after a vacancy occurs in the office of the Inspector-General which is technically on Tuesday, nominate a person for appointment as an Inspector-General and submit the name of the nominee to Parliament.
Parliament shall, within 14 days after it first meets after receiving the names of the nominee consider the suitability of the nominee; either approve or reject the nominee for appointment; and the Speaker of the National Assembly shall notify the President of the decision of Parliament.
If Parliament approves the nominee, the President shall, within seven days after receiving the notification to that effect, appoint the nominee as the Inspector-General.
If Parliament rejects a nominee submitted by the President, Parliament shall request the President to submit a new nominee and the provisions of this section shall apply with necessary modifications with respect to the new nominee.
If, after the expiry of a period of 30 days from the date of the nomination of a person for appointment as Inspector-General, Parliament has neither approved nor rejected the nomination of the person, the nominee shall be deemed to have been approved by the Parliament.