The Chairman of Police Service Commission and former Inspector General of Police Dr Solomon Arase CFR has cleared the air in respect to a newspaper publications where he was credited to have made certain comment.
The Commission Spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani in a statement released to Journalists has said the story published is erroneously assumed, false, misleading and misinformation.
The released said in part, “Vanguard of today, Tuesday, June 13, page 8, captioned “Uneasy calm in Police over Successor to IGP Baba”, where Commission Chairman, Dr. Solomon Arase, CFR, Former Inspector General of Police was quoted to have granted an interview to one Evelyn Usman, a crime correspondent of the Newspaper.
The Correspondent who supposedly interviewed some Civil Society Chieftains in respect of the story went further to claim that Dr. Arase expressed similar views on the matter even when he was not contacted at all.
“The story claimed that the PSC Chairman supports the views that any likely waiver by Mr. President to grant tenure extension to the Inspector General of Police would utterly undermine the law, the provisions of the Police Act, 2020 (amended) which provides in section 18(8) of the Police Act ” that every police officer shall on recruitment or appointment serve the Nigeria Police Force for a period of 35 years or until he attains the age of 60 years whichever comes first”.
“That the Chairman is also in support that any such action could trigger avoidable tension within the system especially the Command structure of Police hierarchy, lower morale and disrupt the systematic movement of top officers in line with seniority and rank”.
The Commission wish to state clearly that as a Chairman of Police Service Commission, and former Inspector General of Police he’s a member of Police Council and aware of proper channel of communication if need be.
That he did not at anytime grant such interview to Evelyn Usman of Vanguard Newspaper. It is a figment of imagination of the purported Crime Correspondent.
The PSC Chairman Dr Solomon Arase CFR , view has always been that the President has the prerogative to appoint an Inspector General of Police, with the endorsement of Police Council which the President is the Chairman.
The Commission demand a retraction of the purported story and apology to just effect.
Though it’s a regrettable development as the Commission Chairman hold the newspaper in very high regard. It’s very disturbing that such publication was credited to the chairman when in actual fact there was no such interview or interaction with the aforementioned crime correspondent on the subject matter.
Dr Arase is a media personality and have given room for media interviews at short notice but crediting stories to the Chairman is unwittingly in bad taste. the Spokesman Ikechukwu Ani has said in the statement released and monitored by Aiyekooto Reporters.
