By Zik Gbemre
Solomon Arase,former Inspector General of Pilice (IG) and immediate past Chairman Police Service Commission (PSC) was well respected and simple as Police Chief, Chairman PSC and his private life before he passed.
He was a friend indeed. As police chief and Chairman PSC Arase never relied on his aides to pick his calls and respond to text messages. Arase picked his calls and if called were missed he called back or sent text messages to say sorry.
When you called Arase he would not cut your conversations short and he would listened patiently till you are done with your conversation. If he was busy he would tell you that he would call back.
Arase was a brilliant Police officer, intellectual and expert in intelligence gathering. At a time he was AIG intelligence Police Headquarters Abuja.
I won’t forget my midnight call placed to Arase precisely on 29th October,2015 at about 11pm or few munites after 11pm when Pa Peter Kosie 94 years old, ‘Okpako-Orere (eldest man) of Otor-Udu Community in Udu LGA that was locked up by Police in Police Headquarters Abuja on the order of a power drunk Deputy Commissioner Police Prince Uzodinma Chi-Anaekwe of Force Headquarters CID (X squard) Abuja over leadership disagreements in Otor-Udu that a desperate Otor-Udu local wrote a petition against Pa Peter Kosie, 94 years.
The then Chairman of Udu LG Council,Solomon Kpomah was on ground to bail him but DCP Prince Uzodinma Chi-Anaekwe refused and someone called me that night. Immediately I called IG Solomon Arase at that late hour of the night he picked my call and I told him how his power drunk police officer locked him in their stinking cell and he told me to send the details and the name of officer that locked a 94 old years man for Community leadership disagreement and I sent it.
Arase ordered DCP Prince Uzodinma Chi-Anaekwe to release Pa Peter Kosie immediately and ordered the officer to use his own money to lodge him in hotel that night. Chi-Anaekwe had no choice but to obey the matching order and he had to drive him in car that night to look for befitting hotel for Pa Peter Kosie.
Arase called me Immediately that Pa Peter Kosie is safe and has been released. Few weeks ago when I asked of Pa Peter Kosie from Austin Kpomah he said that Kosie who is above 100 years is very active and he could trek miles.
This is just one of Arase good deeds when he was in authority. Unlike many police chief they will not pick their calls neither respond to text messages. Even if they answer your call they will direct you to talk to to IPO or head of that team. Arase was in his own class.
Arase didn’t use his position to punnish younger officers who are under him. He was a pleasant Police Chief.
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