The Police Service Commission (PSC) on Tuesday directed all senior police officers due for retirement to exit the service in line with relevant laws regulating the entry and exit from service.
Senior police officers are expected to retire on attainment of the age of 60 or after 35 years in service whichever comes first.
By implication, the commission is asking the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to proceed on retirement by March 1 when his retirement is due.
The Commission, had, Monday, declared that it was not backing tenure extension for the IG.
This comes as President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday asked the Senate to confirm former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase (rtd), as the next Chairman of the Police Service Commission.
The Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs) expected to exit the service this year include Sunusi Lemu, Dan-mallam Mohammed,
DIG Johnson Kokumo and DIG John Amadi.
Lemu is due for retirement January, 31, 2023, Dan-mallam, Dec 18, 2023, Kokumo, March, 15, 2023 and Amadi June, 10, 2023.
Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) due for retirement in 2023 include Garba B. Umar, Isaac Akinmoyede, Aji Ali Janga, Usman Nagogo, Ahmad Abdulrahman and Buba Sanusi among others.
Commissioners of Police billed to retire this year include Akande S. Kayode, Abimbola A. Shokoya, CP Christopher A. Owolabi, CP Olofo Tony Adjoh, CP Aliyu Garba, CP Idrisu Dauda Dabban and Yusuf Usman among others.
A statement issued yesterday by the Spokesman of the PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, said the commission remained the agency constitutionally mandated to recruit, promote, dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over persons holding offices in the Nigeria Police Force, except the Inspector General of Police.
It maintained that “there is an institutional succession plan in the Nigeria Police. There can never be any leadership vacuum in the NPF”.
“The commission has watched with keen interest the conversation in the media on whether retiring senior police officers’ tenure should be enlongated or not and whether such retirements would affect the 2023 election security.
“Rising from a management meeting on Monday, January 23, 2023 in Abuja, the commission said the ongoing campaign for the extension of the tenures of some Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs), Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs), Commissioners of Police (CPs) and other senior police officers was an unnecessary distraction and an affront on all
the existing laws in the country guiding entry and exit in the public service.
“The Commission took a decision that it will not extend the tenures of the retiring senior police officers, stressing that even when requested, it can not do so as it is against all existing laws, Police Act, Police Service Commission Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, it said.
The Commission noted that the “police have capable men and women who should be encouraged to step into the vacancies that would be created by the exiting officers”. It assured Nigerians that there was an institutional succession plan in the Nigeria Police especially with the current injection of 10,000 constables and several other thousands of cadet ASPs from the Police Academy every year.
The commission further assured Nigerians that there would be no vacuum in the hierarchy of the police with the touted retirement of hundreds of senior police officers.
“It took a decision to rigidly uphold the provisions of the law which stipulates that a serving public officer whether in the police or in any other government agency, must exit the service at the age of 60 or having served for a period of 35 years.
“The commission said it would not encourage the subversion of the laws guiding entry and exit into the Nigeria public service, adding that the retiring senior police officers are not indispensable and that their exit would not in any way or manner affect the success of the 2023 general election”, it said.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday asked the Senate to confirm former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, as the next Chairman of the Police Service Commission.
The president, in a letter read at the Senate plenary yesterday by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said the appointment was in accordance with the provision of section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
If confirmed by the senate, Arase will replace the former Chairman of the commission, Musiliu Smith, as a substantive chairman of the commission.
Kingsley Nwezeh
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