President Goodluck Jonathan was on his way a meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Cote d’Ivoire today when his plane was diverted to Lagos for his ‘surprise’ visit to the Police College in Ikeja, the State capital.
Sources say that even his top aides were unaware of the unscheduled stop, but later learned that the owner of Channels TV, Mr. John Momoh, was somehow on hand to cover the visit, suggesting it may have been a scheduled public relations stunt between Jonathan’s people and Mr. Momoh’s Channels.
The authorities of the Police College were also caught unawares. They had in fact rented the college to host a private wedding, which is illegal, although illegality is not necessarily a crime in the current administration, where they routinely go unaddressed.
Still President Jonathan demanded that the top brass explain their action, to which they had no real answers. Jonathan was also concerned about the filming of his ‘surprise’ visit by Channels TV, and demanded to know who had given them permission. He wondered if the filming was done to embarrass the government.
The President undertook an inspection of the college, discovering in the student hostels dilapidated conditions and a lack of beds, mattresses and functioning toilets.
During the inspection the President commented on the TV clips that earlier aired in documentary aired on Lagos-based Channels TV. He stated, “Of all the TV clips, the most offensive was the one showing police cadets eating like poultry fowls.”
Strangely, the commandant of the Police College, Commissioner of Police Irimiya Yerima, boldly told President Jonathan that the Lagos police college was far better than the one in Kaduna. It was not clear if Mr. Jonathan would pick up the implied challenge.
Sources say that even his top aides were unaware of the unscheduled stop, but later learned that the owner of Channels TV, Mr. John Momoh, was somehow on hand to cover the visit, suggesting it may have been a scheduled public relations stunt between Jonathan’s people and Mr. Momoh’s Channels.
The authorities of the Police College were also caught unawares. They had in fact rented the college to host a private wedding, which is illegal, although illegality is not necessarily a crime in the current administration, where they routinely go unaddressed.
Still President Jonathan demanded that the top brass explain their action, to which they had no real answers. Jonathan was also concerned about the filming of his ‘surprise’ visit by Channels TV, and demanded to know who had given them permission. He wondered if the filming was done to embarrass the government.
The President undertook an inspection of the college, discovering in the student hostels dilapidated conditions and a lack of beds, mattresses and functioning toilets.
During the inspection the President commented on the TV clips that earlier aired in documentary aired on Lagos-based Channels TV. He stated, “Of all the TV clips, the most offensive was the one showing police cadets eating like poultry fowls.”
Strangely, the commandant of the Police College, Commissioner of Police Irimiya Yerima, boldly told President Jonathan that the Lagos police college was far better than the one in Kaduna. It was not clear if Mr. Jonathan would pick up the implied challenge.
