The chairman of Police Service Commission,PSC, Dr Solomon Arase has said he is on a mission to stop the acrimony between the commission and Nigeria Police Force and to restore peace and cooperation .
He said that PSC and NPF need to work in synergy to bring about the actualization of Security Sector Reforms (SSR) in Nigeria.
Dr. Arase stated this during a consultative meeting he held with stakeholders in the security sector at PSC Headquarters in Abuja.
He said that his appointment as the Chairman of the Commission came at a critical time in ” our national life, when the Commission and the Nigeria Police Force have engaged in a seemingly intractable disputations over roles and powers, which regrettably compounded and degenerated into series of litigations”.
The embarrassing scenario was informed and fuelled by preconceptions, misconceptions and prejudices against each other, ” founded on mutual distrust and suspicion,” he said.
According to him, ” in the raging disconcertment and belligerency, it is the Nigerian people that suffer as neither PSC nor NPF can function effectively in delivering on its mandate without the support and cooperation of the other, especially, when both institutions that are supposed to be mutually -reinforcing are now at daggers drawn”.
He believes his coming as the Chairman of the Commission was not accidental , “but rather borne out of his conscious effort to bring about the required peace, cordiality and harmony between these two critical institutions of government”.
” I set out with a vision and mission to de-escalate and contain the raging conflict, douse the disquiet and restore peace, understanding and cooperation between the two institutions necessary for my actualization of Security Sector Reforms (SSR) in Nigeria”
He observed the fact that synergy produces greater results and success in the attainment of institutional goals.
The PSC Chairman however observed that although, ” peace is essential for success and growth of any institution towards the attainment of its mandate ; however, the pursuit of peace does not compel us to compromise and undermine our integrity as an oversight Agency over the Nigeria Police”.
Dr. Arase confirmed that peace is being restored and trust being built ” between PSC and NPF, “and I can assure you that in no distant time, all the knotty issues which occasioned the conflict will be amicably resolved in a win- win situation , for both institutions “.
Just as he pledged to bequeath to Nigerians , a Nigeria Police Force ” of our dreams and aspirations; able and willing to provide services to the Nigerian people in the most transparent, responsible and responsive manner”.
He also assured that being a former Police Officer would not impede on his sense of Justice, fairness and equity, adding that he will surely leave his footprints in sands of time and grow a Police Force that is mentally mobile.
He looked at the various problems facing Police and Policing in Nigeria and concluded that the only solution will be the collective intervention, collaboration and participation of all stakeholders in the Security Sector Reform.
Dr. Arase noted that the PSC cannot effectively deliver on its mandate without the corresponding support of the Civil Society Organizations. These supports, and assistance, he said can come in form of training and retraining programmes of both personnel of the PSC and NPF ” as well as helping us with logistics that will aid in carrying out our functions’
He told the CSOs ” the Police Force is ours, it is not impossible to build a Police Force of our aspirations; it only requires involvement , participation, collaboration, assistance and support. Please, get involved”, he pleaded with them.
Kemi Okenyodo, of PWAN, one of the Civil Society Organizations in her remarks, said the appointment of the PSC Chairman was a welcome development especially within the Society and it’s members.
She however called on the new Chairman to build a strong professional external oversight body that is equipped with the required capacity to hold the Police accountable for it’s actions.