Doubts Over Appointment Of Arase As New PSC Chairperson

Barely fourteen days after the approval of the former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase as the new Police Service Commission (PSC) chairperson, doubts have continued to trail his appointment.

THE WHISTLER can authoritatively report an ongoing confusion at the PSC following uncertainties that Arase was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari or by other powers.

Advertisement

According to a top source at the commission, all official protocols preceding the inauguration/resumption of a new PSC chairperson are yet to be observed in the case of Arase as of press time.

“We are waiting for communication that they will swear- in Arase tomorrow, but we are yet to receive any information to that effect. If they are going to swear him in tomorrow they should have communicated because we are supposed to be in the Presidential Villa.

“He is our chairman, and the swearing-in occurs during, before, or after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) we expect to have received information by now unless there is a problem somewhere.

“The interesting thing was the speed at which the Senate rushed to confirm him on Tuesday so that he will be sworn in the next day, but it didn’t happen. Last week Wednesday, he was not sworn in again because the president was not around. Tomorrow is another day and no one has information on whether it will happen or not”.

Advertisement

The former IGP, THE WHISTLER gathered, has visited the new site of the commission with his aides ahead of his resumption.

Sources claimed he is yet to visit Buhari since his appointment, a development seen as further proof that he may not have been appointed by the President but by a cohort of individuals led by the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi.

However, other reasons Asare is yet to be inaugurated, likely, include the completion of his security clearance form.

THE WHISTLER was informed that the clearance was meant to have been completed before appearing at the Senate.

When THE WHISTLER visited the commission, staff expressed uncertainty about Arase’s appointment, with many saying they were not sure if he will be inaugurated during the next FEC meeting on Wednesday.

Advertisement

On January 24, the president in a letter to the Senate reportedly recommended former IGP, Arase, to head the commission. The lawmakers, on the other hand, had approved him after the report of a Committee on Police Affairs Confirming him was presented on the floor of the Senate.

THE WHISTLER reported the displeasure of the Joint Service Union, PSC Chapter on the development, describing it as a violation of the statutory function of the commission.

The union upon the recurring rift between the police and the commission asked that the latter be led by a civilian and not a former police officer because the appointment of Arase, a former IGP, subverts the independence of the commission which has the statutory mandate to investigate and punish police misconduct.

Leave a comment

Advertisement