January 7, 2016 – A coalition, Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, over it called improper constitution of the Police Service Commission (PSC).
According to CISLAC, the commission as presently constituted can be easily faulted.
The letter, signed by the coalition’s chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, urged the president to immediately correct the anomaly in the PSC by appointing substantive and qualified people into the vacancies created, adding that the commission has only six members legally speaking.
Citing section section 153 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Police Service Commission (Establishment) Act 2001, the group said the commission has notable responsibility, among other things, to appoint persons to offices (other than the office of the Inspector-General of Police) in the Nigeria Police Force and to dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over any person holding office in the Nigeria Police Force (other than the Inspector-General of Police).
“Section 2(1) of the PSC Act 2001 States that the management of the commission is vested in the following members, who should not be less than seven and not more than nine at any given time’’. the group said.
The group noted that current situation obtainable in the commission, which ultimately undermines its authority renders its decisions a nullity.
“There is no representative of the non-governmental organizations in the Commission since 2013 when the nominee of former President Goodluck Jonathan for that position, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, was rejected by the senate.
“There is no secretary: since the redeployment of the last permanent secretary of the commission, Aminu Bisalla, to the Ministry of Trade and Investment by President Muhammadu Buhari in November, 2015 the office of the secretary has remained vacant. The contraption internally arranged to draft a junior Director as Acting Secretary is an anomaly alien to the PSC establishment Act 2001.
“From the unambiguous provision of the Act, it is clear the Commission has no Secretary, known to the law; since the current holder of that position, even in acting capacity, falls short of the requirement of the Law. The present composition of the PSC has only six members legally speaking.”
The coalition urged Mr. President to immediately correct the anomaly in the PSC by appointing substantive and qualified people into the vacancies created.
“Otherwise, decisions that affect appointments, promotions and discipline of any officer in the Nigeria Police Force taken within this period by the PSC, such as the recent promotion of 260 deserving officers, could be challenged. “CSNAC therefore, by this letter demand urgent review of PSC decisions and proper composition of the Commission by your office.”
