By Zayd Ibn Isah
The 2023 Police Service Commission’s annual award and end-of-year party was recently held at the Commission’s Corporate Headquarters in Jabi with much pomp and pageantry. The event was well attended by the crème de la crème of both the public and private sectors, including the Commission’s pioneer Chairman, Chief Simon Okeke, who graced the occasion with his beautiful wife, Ambassador Vivian Okeke.
It has become customary for both public and private sectors to host end-of-year events to not only assess their gains and losses but also celebrate hardworking staff, boosting morale and serving as wake-up calls to employees on the value of hard work and professional excellence.
The Commission had its maiden edition of the award ceremony last year, but what makes this year’s award historical and unique compared to the previous edition is that the Commission held it for the first time at its corporate headquarters since it was founded more than two decades ago. This milestone was due to the initiative of its current Chairman, Dr. Solomon Arase. Even the pioneer Chairman, Chief Simon Okeke, could not hide his admiration, remarking on how things had drastically changed within a short period of time. He expressed surprise during his first visit to the corporate headquarters, questioning whether this was the Commission he pioneered as its Chairman, given the mighty edifice and serene working environment. Recounting his experiences, he mentioned that when the then-President inaugurated him into office, the Commission had nothing to call its own. He emphasized that there was no chair, table, or a recognizable working space, but presently, the story has changed for good.
The Police Service Commission was established as an executive body for the Federation of Nigeria under Section 153 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and the Police Service Commission (Establishment) Act 2001. Its core duties, as enshrined in the constitution, include the appointment and promotion of persons to offices other than the office of the IGP, which is exclusively at the prerogative of the President. Additionally, the Commission has the authority to dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over all persons except the Inspector-General of Police, formulate policies and guidelines for the appointment, promotion, discipline, and dismissal of police officers, identify factors inhibiting or undermining discipline in the police force, and formulate and implement policies aimed at the efficiency and discipline of the Nigerian Police Force. The Commission also performs such other functions to ensure the optimal efficiency of the force and carries out such other functions as the President may, from time to time, direct.
It is also interesting to note that the objectives of the Commission are to make the relationship between the public and the police one of trust and confidence instead of suspicion and indifference.
However, despite its enormous functions of oversight over the Nigeria Police Force, the Commission has faced and continues to face several challenges. Some of these challenges include inadequate funding and poor conditions of service. There is also the problem of mutual suspicion between the Commission and the Police Force, which has been a recurring issue until the current Chairman came on board. It is pertinent to state that he has been discharging his duties tirelessly to ensure that the relationship between the Police Service Commission and the Nigerian Police Force is transformed from that of distrust and suspicion to mutual reliance and cooperation for the good of the nation.
However, Dr. Solomon Arase’s assumption of the role as Chairman of the Police Service Commission was initially met with mixed reactions. He stepped into the position at a time when the Commission’s staff were already fatigued by the retired Police Officers who had, at one point in time or the other, headed the establishment. With the exception of the pioneer Chairman, Simon Okeke, all other chairmen had been retired police officers. As such, some of the Commission’s staff held the opinion that a retired police officer might consistently favor the police in decision-making and not fulfill oversight functions in line with the constitution’s letter and spirit.
Fast-forward to this present day, and Dr. Solomon Arase has shown with his performances that what the Commission needs is someone with stellar records of service to pilot its affairs. Even those who expressed their concerns and doubts have had no choice but to key into his agenda, seeing that he actually desires the best for the Commission.
The first decision that Dr. Arase made on assumption of office was to move the Commission from the Federal Secretariat to its own headquarters. Construction of the Commission’s corporate headquarters was initiated in 2012 and completed in 2019, but abandoned until Dr. Arase came on board.
Being at the helm of the Commission’s affairs, he made sure that the building would be used for the purpose it was built, even at personal expenses. In his quest to increase the productivity of the Staff of the Commission, he also embarked on rounds of training and retraining in partnerships with local and foreign agencies. Additionally, in the area of conditions of service of Staff of the Commission, he has been meeting with stakeholders to discuss how the welfare of the staff of the Commission can be improved for optimal performance. These and others, he has done in less than one year in office.
Ultimately, there is no denying the fact that the vision and mission of the PSCʼs boss is to reposition the Commission so that it can carry out its core duties effectively. What he only requires is the unalloyed support from stakeholders to ensure that an efficient and effective Police Service Commission is better positioned to function for the good of the nation.
Zayd Ibn Isah can be reached at lawcadet1@gmail.com
