Workers of the police service commission on Abuja on Thursday, April 12 decried through protest the presidency’s move to appoint former police officers as the heads of the service, adding that working with the them has proven difficult because of their background
The federal government’s decision to appoint retired officers as heads of the police service commission has been condemned by workers of the force.
The protesting workers, who besieged the National Assembly premises in Abuja, demanded that the FG put an end to the practice, referring to it as illegal, the Punch reports.
On the platform of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, PSC chapter, the worker said that going by the Act establishing the commission, a civilian should be appointed as the commission’s chairman, and not a retired police officer who may have bias for the police.
The protesters carried placards with different inscriptions, such as “Police Service Commission is not a retirement resort for ex-police bosses”, “Mr President, please give us a civilian chairman” and “FG, respect the constitution and appoint a civilian chairman for PSC.”
Umar Sharubutu, the chairman of the union, said it had been tough working with the former police officers heading the commission because of their background.
He said: “Why we are here today is to address an issue which has been bothering us for the past 10 years. It is wrong constitutionally to have an ex-police boss heading the commission. This is because the commission, by the Act enabling the commission, is defined as a civilian oversight body on the police.
“To represent the interests of the police, you have a Commissioner of Police 2 appointed on the board to serve as an adviser on technical issues relating to the police. So, the appointment of a former police boss as a chairman of the board is a duplication of interest.
“We have tried to work with these former police bosses but it is simply difficult to work with them because of their background. We will resist, in the most lawful manner, the appointment of another former police boss to head our commission.”
In his address to the protesters, the permanent secretary of the PSC, Musa Istifanus, urged them to return to work as their complaints had been taken note of.
Meanwhile, it was reported that the authorities of the Nigeria police force were allegedly planning the promoting Danjuma Mohammed Ibrahim, the deputy commissioner of police believed to had ordered the 2005 shooting of five Igbo traders and a young woman in the Apo area of Abuja.
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