By Emma Njoku
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has set up a panel comprising members of the Commission and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), to investigate allegations of bribery scandal in the Commission.
The commission urged anyone with evidence on the allegations to, as a matter of urgency, forward the same to the commission, vowing that anyone found culpable will be dealt with, in line with the laws of the land.
An online medium, on Tuesday, published a story that some aggrieved officers of the Nigeria Police Force alleged that the commission gave special promotions to junior officers above senior ones after allegedly collecting bribes of a sum of $10,000.
The said aggrieved officers, in a statement by one Mr. Chijioke Okonkwo, on behalf of other officers had “urged the Presidency to probe the corrupt practices in the Police Force.”
The PSC, yesterday, in a statement signed by its Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, said, “it does not sell promotions in the Nigeria Police Force and will not start now when a deliberate effort is being made to reposition and reinvigorate the Nigeria Police Force, especially with the assumption of duty of Dr. Solomon Arase as Chairman of the Commission.
“As of the time of this statement, the commission has not formally received any formal petition or complaint on this allegation.”
The statement further noted that “the said Mr. Chijioke Okonkwo, who posed and signed off on behalf of other officers, forgot that he is a serving police officer and did not indicate his rank. He forgot the line of communication for officers of the Nigeria Police Force, which also guides the public service.”
The commission advised aggrieved officers to avail themselves of the existence of the investigative panel and come forward with substantiated proof that could aid the investigation.
It, however, warned that it will not tolerate any frivolous and fictitious media claims as officers and men of the police should be abreast and conversant with approved lines of communication, while it directed the police to fish out the true identity of the said Mr Chijioke Okonkwo for interrogation.
“At a time when the commission chairman is working hard to harmonise and improve the services of both the commission and the police, the commission can ill afford this kind of distraction. “Barely one week in office, the commission chairman has met with the Inspector General of Police and his management team; the national leadership of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), and on Wednesday, April 12, met with retired Inspectors General of Police. His desire to bring sanity, peace and unity in the police sub-sector is already receiving desired results,” the statement further read.
Meanwhile, Dr Arase has assured members of the public of his administration’s readiness to sanitise the system and urged staff of the commission to live above board, at all times, in the discharge of their responsibilities, as bribery and corruption of any kind would not be tolerated under his watch.