The Police Service Commission today, Friday, November 30th, 2018, received in audience, a delegation from CLEEN Foundation, a non-governmental Organization in the vanguard for the promotion of public safety, security and accessible justice in Nigeria. The delegation was led by the Executive Director of the Foundation, Dr. Benson Olugbuo.
Dr. Olugbuo, in his presentation during the courtesy visit, made a case for tenure of office for Inspectors-General of Police in Nigeria so as to isolate the occupants from political interference. He requested that the Commission should buy into the idea and ensure legislative backing in order to secure the independence of the IGP in the performance of his duties.
Dr. Olugbuo further noted that the Inspector-General of Police is simply the most powerful office after the Commander- in- chief. “There should be security of tenure for IGPs so that they can do their jobs and be fairly independent”, he observed.
The Executive Director said the visit to the Commission was part of the programme of their 20th anniversary celebration which held in Abuja on Thursday, November 29th, 2018, and to present a gift to the Commission. The Foundation presented a 55 inch Andriod television set to the Commission and promised to train the staff that will operate it.
He noted that the Commission should take advantage of the gadget and engage more with the public so as to give hope to the citizens who have been at the receiving end of police brutality.
Receiving the delegation, Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Commissioner in the Commission who represented the Commission’s Chairman, said the new Management of the Commission was now more than prepared to engage the citizens and ensure that the Police operates within the tenets of the rule of law.
She promised that the Commission will look into the request for tenure of office for the IGP. “We will impress on it when we are called upon to give our opinion and collectively we will come to an agreement on what is good for our nation”, she noted.
Justice Ogunbiyi also said that the issue of security should be everybody’s business. “We want everybody to take up the issue of security seriously” adding that the Foundation was doing great by ensuring that the citizens have a voice. “We don’t want the citizens to be caged”.
She spoke on the 2019 elections and said the Commission will effectively play its role to ensure that every Police Officer involved in electoral duties must operate within the guidelines set for them by the Commission. “We will ensure that Police Officers are not partisan, they must protect the citizens to perform their civic responsibilities. Any Police Officer who flouts the guidelines will be brought to book”
IGP’S OFFICE SHOULD BE TENURED, CLEEN FOUNDATION TELLS PSC