One thing that is permanent in life is change. The retiring AIG Yomi Oladimeji l know has always been an officer and a gentleman like it or leave it.
My relationship with Yomi Oladimeji dated back then early 90s when he was appointed as the the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer under late Alhaji Hamish Isah. His job as PPRO under a boss who is always stoking fire,particularly under the military regime who believes that the press can be under their boot. Often times after a press briefing Yomi will be the one to be moving from one media house to another distributing his own version of what’. ” Oga ” the Commissioner of Police CP was talking about. Most times,the CP would openly rebuke him ”PRO, it is like you do not know your job”.
As human, most of us have sympathy for him the way his principal always react to stories he personally gave out during press briefings.
Some of us where regarded as enemies of the CP,State and the Country in general. I was not surprised, when it was time to proscribed newspapers houses,some media houses where shut down under the Babagida and Abacha regime. As if that was not enough,Benin City is always known for good, when it comes to fighting for democracy. Alhaji Isah,after each demonstrations usually declare some persons wanted by the police (journalist in his blacklist inclusive) I will leave that for another days discussion. Most times Yomi will be moving all night to media houses in Benin City pleading for understanding not to offend his principal for his job then as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) ,later Deputy Superintendent of Police DSP. Most journalist then would be patient enough to hear and issues cleared with him while a few will published it raw. In all these, Yomi remain focused on his job. A humble, dedicated, officer and a gentleman to cure. Always smiling even when abused, humiliated and disgraced by his superiors who most times want to please the” Oga at the top” claiming the ppro do not know what he doing. I was already out of the state when I ran into a long time colleague who informed me how Yomi survived,he was redeployed, made the Divisional Police Officer DPO Oba market. Reporting crime has exposed me to a lots of things that if all what a reporter hears,dish out to the public can cause lots of problems,particularly in our clime.(Nigeria). Like what FEMA would call ”suffering and smiling’ most times in other to pacify the boss and the general public some officers take a lot of risk ensuring that their area of operations are calm. The privilege few are the ones that gets jucy beats,posting and even promotions. I lost contact with Yomi years back only to see him when he resumed as the Deputy Commissioner of Police DC A at the Rivers State Command ,Port Harcourt, Rivers State. We have gone to see the Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Dan Daoura but was referred to see the DCA. To my surprise, sitting with us to discussed what took myself and the then State Chairman of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) Comrade Sotonye George PhD,now Amanyanabo of Okhrika,natural ruler of Okhrika ,Ado X.
Like a reunion, we exchanged pleasantries, he ensured that we got justice for what took us to his office. Like the usual police duties, in less than six months time,he was promoted to the rank of a substantive Commissioner Police ( CP) redeployed to Lagos. Yomi Oladimeji to my own understanding is never bothered about lobbying but sincerely believes that GOD has a hand in all things. In a major reorganization in the police force, he was transferred to Nasarawa State as Commissioner of Police CP but some forces within the police fought tirelessly that he could not resume as CP. But unknowingly to them, GOD has a big plan for his chosen. He was later deployed to Ogun State as CP. As an officer and gentleman, l believed that AIG Yomi Oladimeji is a true son of his father who was amongst those that embraced Christianity in the good old days. Following his elevation as AIG,he was first posted to Oshogbo zonen12. I recalled running into him when the told ”area calm” literary meaning all is well. He assured me that very soon the Nigeria Police will be amongst the best in the world because the government of the day is concern on how to make the entire police force people oriented. At a particular point in our discussion he asked”why do you think the Nigeria police always performed when they go outside the Country”. According to him the present police management team are thinking on how to replicate such feet back home. Eve
