5:T706,

The list of members of the new management team to work with Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Suleiman Abba is now complete following the decision by the Police Service Commission (PSC) to give Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, double promotion.

Opara, a top PSC source confided in News Express, will soon be promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) to enable him qualify to join the Police Management Team.

“This is the only alternative as Opara is the most senior police officer from the South-East and the law requires that every geo-political zone must be represented in the Police Management Team,” the source said.

The source, however, quickly pointed out that such double promotion in the police is not new, as the incumbent Chairman of the PSC, Sir. Mike Mbama Okiro, was promoted from the Commissioner rank to DIG during his service days and later became IGP.

With Opara, the Police Management Team would have the seven members required by law.

It would be recalled that News Express had last Friday, August 1, exclusively reported that the PSC would soon promote six AIGs to the DIG rank, thus qualifying them for membership of the Police Management Team following the mass retirement of DIGs as a result of last Thursday’s appointment of AIG Suleiman Abba as successor to retired IGP Mohammed Abubabakar by President Goodluck Jonathan.

News Express had named the six AIGs to be promoted as Dan’azumi Doma, Solomon Arase, Bala Nasarawa, Christopher Dega, Saliu Argungu Ashimu and Mamman Ibrahim Tsafe. The promotions are, however, yet to be announced by police authorities.

•Photo shows ComPol Hilary Opara.

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