The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has revealed why President Muhammadu Buhari retained the immediate past Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase who was inherited from the preceding administration of Goodluck Jonathan.
Speaking during the public presentation of a book written by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, titled: Cascade of Change…, Adesina stated that his principal allowed the former police boss to serve out his tenure because of Arase’s intellect and capacity as an operations person.
Adesina, who spoke about the reaction of the immediate past IGP to a farewell dinner the president held in his honour, said Arase had expected to be sacked before the end of his tenure.
“Arase told the president 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 the pages of newspapers,” he said.
According to Adesina, Arase also had the fear that, since, he was inherited by Buhari’s administration, he was not sure of being retained; so, everyday, he had the trepidation he would hear he had been removed.
But, quoting Buhari on why he retained Arase till the end of his tenure, the president’s aide said: “When it was the turn of the president to speak, he explained why he kept Arase as IGP.
“He said he saw the quality of his mind and he saw the quality of things, he had written. You know Arase has many publications to his credit and he also saw his capacity as an operations person and he decided to keep him till his tenure expired.”
Adesina told the gathering that the President appreciates sound mind and intellect “and that shows the goodwill he has for Mr. Steve Ayorinde, the author of the book.”
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