The announcement from the Presidency on June 11, 2024, about the removal of the chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Dr. Solomon Arase, stunned and shocked the security community like a naked electric wire, while members of the public held their breath in utter disbelief, as many others were completely flabbergasted, asking the question, what did he do wrong? Has his tenure elapsed? While mouths were agape, behold the man at the centre of national discussion was busy arranging a two-day intensive security programme he initiated for the betterment and improvement and development of policing around the country.
The programme had the theme “Civilian oversight in Nigeria,” where security gurus were invited, with stakeholders drawn from various security sectors across the world mainly to brainstorm on the best ways to manage policing and oversight in Nigeria for better results.
He had anticipated that the outcome would turn around and improve the relationships in the chain of oversight bodies in the country and also form the ground work for operationalization of a National Policing Plan.
Unfortunately, the statement from the Presidency, which jolted the sensibilities of many, sparked off a new controversy by raking up an old ‘sin’ that had continued to create controversy and soil the image of the Nigeria Police and its supervising commission. One had thought that the controversy had been rested and sealed by the Supreme Court as to who is constitutionally empowered to carry out the recruitment of policemen and women.
In a statement, with reference number CZ.5300/FPRD/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.6/178, dated June 15, 2024 and signed by the Force Public Relations Officer Muyiwa Adejobi, on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, it was alledged that the recruitment process of 2022 was “marred by irregularities.” The simple question is, what sort of irregularities? This allegation has become like a sing-song in the ears of keen observers of recruitment in the police, and people marvel at the discordant tunes that usually emanate from the Nigeria Police whenever there is a national assignment like recruitment into the police.
By the way, whose responsibility is it to carry out such exercise, is it not the supervising body, which is the PSC, as mandated by the Constitution? The police authorities, under the IGP, ought to know the rules of the game, instead of plying this route of discrepancy and unnecessary controversy each time there is a national recruitment.
When the last impasse created bad blood between the two institutions, the law of the land was tested and the case dragged up to the Supreme Court, which resolved and ruled in favour of the PSC. However, it seems that the leaders of the Nigeria Police are hell-bent on either wresting from the hands of the commission the right to supervise the recruitment or find fault that would stain the integrity of the commission. Many are viewing the scenario and asking questions, could this be a situation where the dog (PSC) is given a bad name (by NPF) in other to hang it? According to informed source, Arase, had, during the recruitment excersise, compiled a list of all the applicants, the total numbers of the applicants, the unsuccessful as well as the successful ones, the list of those that scaled through the CBT organised by JAMB, those who went for the medical tests, the successful and not successful ones. Arase sent one copy to IGP Kayode Egbetokun and retained one.
He disclosed that the PSC discovered that the NPF wanted to smuggle more than one thousand names, which they prevented by releasing the authentic list on June 4, 2024. This, according to him, was the beginning of the impasse.
I vividly recall that a joint recruitment board, comprising personnel of the force, where DIG Frank Mbah, in charge of DLS, represented the police, the Ministry of Police Affairs and NGOs, was constituted by Arase to ensure transparency of the exercise.
However, the police were authorized to carry out physical screening of all the applicants while the PSC supervised the documentation of the applicants. There were video clips showing police personnel carrying out the physical screening of the applicants. So, where did the issue of unqualified people come in?
One is surprised that an allegation of impropriety was being levelled against the PSC knowing full well that all other security agencies were around to also monitor the excersise.
Doesn’t it amount to self indictment, since the Police Force was represented on the joint board and indeed conducted physical screening of applicants?
Truly, there is no need for this unnecessary impasse between the NPF and the PSC.
Looking back, the police force has been portrayed as an organisation that hates transparency. Recall that this same incident happened in the two last recruitment exercises, which created a lot of opera whereby the Presidency intervened to resolve the imbroglio. In a brief chat with Dr. Arase, he said: “That is why we are asking them to bring their list and bring the computer-based (CBT) list. Let’s cross-check it.”
He said he posted the list to JAMB. “It should be easy for them to extract it. How can you put in names of people who did not apply? When their NIN number is not there, this JAMB CBT is the easiest way to confirm who is lying.”
This is a case that needs to be revisited by the President so as not to give members of the public a bad impression about his sense of judgement. Many are of the opinion that the IGP capitalised on his closeness to the President, being his former ADC when he was the governor of Lagos State, and also the insinuations in security circles, which is very rife, is that there’s a grand plan to extend the tenure of the present IGP who is expected to exit office in September 2024.
However, a former IGP and chairman of the PSC, Sir Mike Okiro, has intervened in what he described as “unnecessary furore,” adding that, “The fact remains that the Police Service Commission is meant to check excesses and any untoward direction in the Nigeria Police Force, it is for such intrinsic reasons that the framers of the Constitution felt it wise to vest the powers of recruitment, discipline and promotion of police personnel other than the IGP in the Police Service Commission.”
According to him, “However, my candid advice is that both the PSC and the NPF should sheathe their swords and understand that what Nigerians yearn for is how the country will exit the ravaging insecurity pervading the land”
(To be continued)
—————————————
Congratulations!!!
Security File wishes to congratulate the newly appointed Assistant Inspector General of Police, Romokere Ibani, who would be in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Lagos, and deputy commissioner Laatif Ahmed, who would be in charge of State Criminal Investigative Department (SCID, Panti, Yaba , Lagos. Both officers are thoroughbred investigators. DCP Ahmed was a former investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.