There appear to be varying opinions as to the recent sack of Retired Inspector General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase, as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, PSC, by President Bola Tinubu.
On Monday, the Presidency through a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, announced that President Tinubu has approved the appointment of DIG Hashimu Argungu (Rtd) as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).
The statement read further; “The President has also approved the appointment of Chief Onyemuche Nnamani as Secretary and DIG Taiwo Lakanu (Rtd) as Member of the Commission.
“The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate.
“Other members of the Police Service Commission will be appointed in due course.
“Furthermore, the President has approved the appointment of Mr. Mohammed Sheidu as the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) with immediate effect.
“The President expects absolute demonstration of integrity, diligence, and patriotic zeal in the discharge of these important functions for the overall wellbeing of the Nigeria Police and the nation.”
The sacked PSC Chairman, Arase was appointed Chairman in January 2023 by President Muhammadu Buhari and he served as the 18th Inspector-General of Nigerian Police (IGP) after Suleiman Abba was sacked.
But the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, believes the removal of Arase portrays the Tinubu’s administration as one that does not have regard for integrity and competence.
According to the Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, “This singular act – removing Arase as Chairman of Police Service Commission, clearly underscores this government’s character as one that does not prioritize competence, integrity, and efficiency.
“Political appointments may be means of political patronage and compensation, but it should not extend to sensitive institutions like the Police Service Commission.
“Why would any serious government remove Arase as PSC Chairman with all the positive reforms and sanity he has begun to restore to the Commission?
“The Nigerian Chairman of Police Service Commission has a statutory tenure of office.
“According to the Police Service Commission Act, the Chairman and members of the Commission shall hold office for a period of five years and may be eligible for reappointment for another term of five years.
“The Act also outlines the conditions for removal from office, which includes misconduct, inability to perform the functions of the office, and other grounds stated in the Act.”
But for the Executive Director, of Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, CHRICED, Idris Miliki Abdul, Nigerians must understand that appointments in Nigeria based on the constitution is a discretional issue.
According to him, although the removed PSC Chairman was quite resourceful, the citizens must recognize that they did not nominate him and as such, cannot determine when he will be removed.
“It was former President that brought him and can remove him based on his discretion.
“There were people before him and more will come after him. There are other positions he can also serve in because I am confident that he has what it takes,” he said.
Speaking on the tenure of Arase, Miliki said although Arase was a competent officer, the office he occupied has a lot of factors that determine the success of the occupant.
“In this service, scenarios are different and circumstances also determine the result that you will get.
“The unfortunate thing about the PSC is that we only hear about them when they announce promotion of officers or recruitment. So it appears this is the only work they do and does do anything in the training and sanctioning of policemen across the country.
“Also, there is this animosity between the office of the IGP and that of the PSC. All these affected his performance in office.
“So I don’t think there is anything specific that Arase has added that is different from what the former chairmen have done,” Miliki posited.
He called on the new PSC Chairman, Argungu, to be innovative and communicate and involve stakeholders including the media, and the civil society, among others, better in the discharge of his duties.
