- Alleges marginalization of Niger-Delta People by FG
By Tolúlopé Olátúnji
The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) led by an elder stateman and former Federal Commissioner(Minister) of Information, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark has condemned the removal of Solomon Arase as Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), calling it “unnecessary provocation” and an act of marginalization of the people of the Niger Delta region. The PANDEF declared that this development “reflects negatively on President Bola Tinubu’s administration.”
The New Diplomat reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had appointed retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, DIG Hashimu Argungu as the new Chairman of the PSC, ending Arase’s tenure. It would be recalled that Arase had been appointed in January 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement signed by E.K.Clark-led PANDEF National Chairman, Emmanuel Essien on Sunday, the forum demanded an explanation for Arase’s premature removal, declaring that the reforms Arase had implemented during his tenure has had far-reaching impact.
The statement read:“We express profound disappointment and denounce the unjust manner in which Dr. Solomon Arase, a former Inspector General of Police, was relieved of his duties as Chairman of the Police Service Commission by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday, 10th June 2024,”
“PANDEF views Arase’s removal as unwarranted and an unnecessary provocation that reflects negatively on Tinubu’s administration, indicating a lack of regard for the nation’s laws that Mr. President swore to uphold and protect. This act further portrays this administration as one that does not prioritize competence, integrity, and efficiency; sacrificing merit on the altar of favoritism. The pivotal question remains, what warranted Solomon Arase’s removal from office by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu?”, the statement added.
The PANDEF urged Tinubu to clarify the reasons for Arase’s removal, saying it is an act of injustice and misconduct.
It stated: “The question arises as to why any serious government would dismiss a personality like Solomon Arase, who had initiated positive reforms and improvements at the Commission, and given his meritorious track record as a diligent police officer, who rose through the ranks to become the 18th Inspector General of Police of the Nigeria Police Force and retired with dignity.”
Essien claimed that the removal of Arase contravenes the law under Section 3, subsection (1)a of the Police Service Commission Act 2002, which provides for a four-year term for the PSC Chair. He noted that past Presidents had appointed former Chairmen for the stipulated four-year term.
“According to Section 3, subsection (1)a of the Police Service Commission Act 2002, subject to the provisions of Section 4 of the Act, a member of the Commission, other than ex-officio members, shall each hold office for a term of four years and no more,” Essien said.
He added:“It is important to recall that when President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office, he retained Sir Mike Okiro as Chairman of the Police Service Commission until the end of Okiro’s tenure, appointing Musiliu Smith, also a former IGP, in May 2018 to succeed Okiro. Sir Mike Okiro, the 13th Inspector General of Police from 2007 to 2009, was appointed as Chairman of the Police Service Commission in May 2013 by Buhari’s predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan.”
PANDEF also alleged marginalization of the Niger Delta people by the Tinubu administration, adding that political considerations should not influence the appointment of a PSC Chairman.
They advised the President against continued disregard for the Constitution, warning that it sends the wrong message to citizens.
The Niger-Delta group stated:“It is pertinent to implore that political considerations mustn’t be entertained in appointments to sensitive institutions such as the Police Service Commission…Mr. President should likewise note that the continued disregard for the constitution and the rule of law by the government not only mirrors negatively on law enforcement officers, the military, and political leaders but also sends a dangerous message to citizens, posing a threat to Nigeria’s stability.”
