The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PSC

  • Police arrest two ‘fraudsters’ in Bayelsa

    Police arrest two ‘fraudsters’ in Bayelsa

    •WAEC fraudster held in Edo
    •Granddad paraded for ’N3m fraud’

    The police in Bayelsa State have clamped down on business centres, cybercafé and other outfits involved in selling fake police recruitment forms.

    Police spokesman Alex Akhigbe said Matthew Saliu and Urhiewu James were apprehended at Adonai Cybercafé, 820 Melford Okilo Road, Etegwe, Yenagoa.

    He said the suspects were nabbed, following a tip-off.

    Akhigbe said Saliu is the manager of the café and James the operator, adding that the owner, Yemi Akande, escaped after sighting the police.

    He said the police recovered some completed forms and N2,000 collected from a victim.

    The police spokesman said the Police Service Commission (PSC) was yet to declare a vacancy.

    But James said he was not a criminal. He said he accessed the recruitment site through Google and followed the guidelines listed for the recruitment.

    In Benin, the Edo State capital, the police have arrested a 22-year-old man, Favour Ehizokhai Akharamen, for allegedly defrauding candidates writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    Akharamen was alleged to have sent messages to his victim through the internet, promising to send them questions and answers after the payment of N5000 to a bank account.

    Police Commissioner Foluso Adebanjo said the suspect was arrested in a bank at Ekpoma while attempting to withdraw money paid into the account by officials of the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC).

    He said the money was paid as bait to fish out the suspect.

    The suspect denied involvement in the crime, saying he simply went to the bank to withdraw money from his account when he was arrested.

    A 51-year-old grandfather, Eddie Emeka Ihinson, has been arrested while attempting to withdraw N3million from an account with forged documents.

    Ihinson was said to have hacked into the data of a new generation bank and found details of a customer.

    Police said he forged voters and personal identity card bearing the name of the account holder.

    The suspect was arrested after presenting the forged documents and demanded for withdrawal booklet and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards.

    He was among 33 suspects paraded yesterday by the Edo State Police Command.

    Raliwari Abdulahi, Iduwa Akenuwa, Saturday Oseidu and Stephen Osagiohomo were paraded for alleged rape.

    Friday Ayemere and John Asia were arrested for allegedly defiling minors.

    Ayemere was alleged to have defiled three sisters between the ages of three and five.

    Others were arrested for unlawful possession of firearms, robbery and stealing.

    Ihinson admitted the crime but said no fraud was committed since he did not withdraw the money.

    Adebanjo said the suspects would soon be charged to court.

  • Mbu: APC slams PSC, Presidency

    Mbu: APC slams PSC, Presidency

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the tacit defence of the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu, by the Police Service Commission (PSC).

    It said the commission, by its unimaginative action, was only pandering to the Presidency, “the sponsor of the impunity in the state”.

    In a statement in Lagos yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party wondered if the PSC understood the constitution as regards the role of a police commissioner.

    The APC said: “For the avoidance of doubt, we quote Section 215 (4) of the Constitution, which stipulates: ‘Subject to the provisions of this section, the Governor of a State or such Commissioner of the Government of the State as he may authorise in that behalf, may give to Commissioner of Police of that State such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order within the State as he may consider necessary, and the Commissioner of Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with’.’’

    APC said if the PSC understood the stipulation, it would not only be talking of Mbu being redeployed but should by now be justifying the dismissal of the police boss, who has violated the constitution not only by refusing to take lawful orders but by also constituting himself into the opposition, the de facto chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Rivers.

    “If the PSC wants to be truthful, it will admit that no one but the police commissioner has politicised his own office. It will also admit that no one has asked the police commissioner to be the governor’s errand boy, as claimed by the PSC, but to simply carry out his duties as stipulated by the constitution. If the PSC still does not understand, it should tell Nigerians in which other state of the federation is a police commissioner usurping the role of the governor as the chief security officer of the state,” the party said.

    It described as disingenuous, the decision of the PSC to hinge its shameful inaction in the face of the madness perpetrated by the Rivers police boss on a suit against the commission and the commissioner, saying no court case has prevented the commission from carrying out its duties.

    “The truth is that the embarrassing situation in Rivers has persisted because the Presidency is the sole sponsor and it does not want peace to reign. The moment President Goodluck Jonathan decides to uphold the constitution in accordance with his oath of office, Mbu will not last one day in office.

    “The PSC, which has now taken it upon itself to defend Mbu and even remind Nigerians how some people have been praising him for doing a good job – in a bid by the pliant commission to impress the Presidency – knows that this President is never hindered by a suit when he decides to pursue his own agenda, as he is doing in Rivers. In case the PSC has forgotten, President Jonathan suspended former President of the Court of Appeal Justice Ayo Salami from office even when his case was in court.

    “In any case, one million PSCs will not have been able to save Mbu if his partisanship in Rivers has been in favour of Governor Chibuike Amaechi. The PSC should therefore spare Nigerians its annoying sophistry and stop hiding behind one finger. The truth is that nothing can justify the police-backed lawlessness, harassment of innocent citizens, disrespect for constituted authority and outright thuggery in Rivers.

    “Nigerians know the puppeteer in the Rivers crisis. Nigerians know why the PSC has been ‘handicapped’ in Rivers despite the unprecedented misconduct of the state’s police boss. Therefore, any attempt by anyone, including the spokesperson for the PSC, to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians, will fall flat,” APC said.

  • Okiro eligible to head Police Service Commission

    Okiro eligible to head Police Service Commission

    Last week, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mike Okiro to chair the Police Service Commission (PSC). Okiro is awaiting the Senate’s confirmation before assuming office. In this write up, a lawyer, Sir Barth Ozoana, states that Okiro is “eminently qualified” for the job.

    Is former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mike Okiro qualified to chair the Police Service Commission (PSC)?

    The answer is probably yes, going by the provisions of Section 156 of the 1999 Constitution, which reads:

    (1) No person shall be qualified for appointment as a member of any of the bodies aforesaid if-

    (a) He is not qualified or if he is disqualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives;

    (b) Within the preceding ten years, he has been removed as a member of any of the bodies or as the holder of any other office on the ground of misconduct.

    (2) Any person employed in the public service of the Federation shall not be disqualified for appointment as a chairman or member of any of such bodies; provided that where such person has been duly appointed he shall, on his appointment, be deemed to have resigned his former office as from the date of the appointment.

    (3) No person shall be qualified for appointment to any of the bodies aforesaid if, having previously been appointed as a member otherwise than as an ex-officio member of the body, he has been re-appointed for a further term as a member of the same body.

    From the above Section 156 of the 1999 Constitution, it will be seen that the provisions do not require that the member of such bodies “shall not be required to belong to a political party”.

    Section 153 lists the bodies as Code of Conduct Bureau; Council of State; Federal Character Commission; Federal Civil Service Commission; Independent National Electoral Commission; National Defence Council; National Economic Council (NEC); National Judicial Council; National Population Commission; National Security Council; Nigeria Police Council; Police Service Commission; and Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

    The 1999 Constitution does not put any impediment on the way of any Nigerian. Rather on the contrary all such members from time immemorial had always belonged to a political party. The important factors in an appointment of this nature are competence, integrity and dedication to duty.

    I submit without fear of contradiction that Mr. Okiro has all the above qualities, and above all he is a detribalised Nigerian who will always put the country first, and above his personal or group interest.

    Before the Nigerian Civil War, the then Chairman of the PSC, Alhaji Sule Katagum, was a card carrying and staunch member of the Northern People’s Congress (NPC). Also when the Obasanjo administration came on board, Mr. Okeke (popularly called Ochendo), a staunch Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member from the Southeast became the Chairman of the PSC followed by the immediate past Chairman of the PSC.

    It is heartwarming to note that Okiro’s appointment has been commended by some Nigerians, including serving police officers. For example, on page 13 of The Punch of Friday, May 10, 2013, it was stated that the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) Zone II Lagos described Okiro’s appointment “as a blessing to the force”, while the AIG Zone 5, Benin described the appointment “as the best appointment in the history of the PSC and he will perform very well because he is a man of integrity”

     

  • Jonathan nominates Nnamani, Okiro for board appointments

    Jonathan nominates Nnamani, Okiro for board appointments

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday forwarded the names of the former Senate President, Ken Nnamani and ex-Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro for board appointments.

    Jonathan also nominated Hon. Justice K.M.O. Kekere-Ekun for confirmation as a Justice of the Supreme Court.

    While Senator Nnamani was to be confirmed to chair the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Okiro is to chair the Police Service Commission.

    Jonathan also listed Barrister Aminu Dikko from Kaduna in the North West Zone as the Director -General of the ICRC.

    Other proposed members of the ICRC are – Mrs. Comfort Saro Wiwa from Rivers State (South South), Engr. Janet Febisola Adeyemi (Ondo-South West), Mrs. Yabawa Wabi (Bornu-North East), Hon. Musa Elayo (Nasarawa-North Central) and Barr. A.U. Kanu (Abia-South East).

    Members of the Police Service Commission are – the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Yakubu Mohammed (rtd) (North West), Hon. Justice Olufunke Adekeye, JSC (rtd), Osun, Aisha Larai Tukur (Taraba), Mrs. Comfort Obi (Imo), Chief Torngee Gem Toranyiin (Benue) and Dr. Otive Ogbuzor (Delta).

    Jonathan also wrote to withdraw the nomination of Mr. Adesoji Olaoba Efuntayo as the Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Efuntayo was replaced with Mr. Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo (South West).

    The President also urged the Senate to confirm the nomination of Mr. Adulphus Joe Ekpe as the Director General of the National Lottery Commission.