Nigerian appointed London police first black commander

Victor Olisa, a UK-based Nigerian and a Chief
Superintendent with the London Metropolitan Police
has been appointed as the first black commander for
Bexley local council in London.
"Policing runs in the family and I have always wanted
to be a police officer and ethnicity does not affect
that" Olisa told the Europe Correspondent of the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in his reaction on the
appointment in London.
Olisa, whose grandfather was a police officer in
Nigeria, said his focus was on the job rather than on
being the ``first black'' adding that his ethnicity
never affected the way he carried out his duties.
``I consider myself first and foremost a police officer.
If (being black) is an advantage, then brilliant; If it's a
disadvantage, I will have to deal with that, I can't
hide it.''
Olisa said a lot was being done to address racism
within the force adding that it was the responsibility
of the force to correct wrongs and not an institution
for people with racist views.
``I am impeccably against anyone who uses racist
language or behaves in a racist manner. This will not
be allowed under my watch.
``I believe that everyone should be treated with
dignity wherever they come from,'' Olisa said.
Olisa, 52, born in Warri, Delta, is one of the three
chief superintendents from black minority ethnic
background working for the Metropolitan Police.
He started his career in Surrey Police in 1982 before
transferring to the City of London Police in 1990 as
detective inspector in the Fraud Squad.
After a spell at the Home Office, he transferred to the
Metropolitan police in 2006 as a superintendent in
Southwark Council before his recent appointment.









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