Sack Police Commission Boss Now, HURIWA Tells Buhari

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) yesterday called on President, Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), former Inspector General of Police, Mr Musiliu Smith over alleged recurring ineptitude under his administration.

The call was made in support of an earlier one by the Joint Union Congress of Police Service Commission, wherein the staff blamed Smith for the #EndSARS nationwide protests in October 2020.

According to the joint union, the wanton destruction of police formations and killing of scores of policemen were totally avoidable if the PSC leadership was proactive in addressing challenges of policing in the country.

HURIWA, in a statement recalled how Chairman of PSC Joint Union Congress, Augustine Adoyi, said staff of the Commission would launch a massive protest if their demands including ensuring merit–based promotion in the Nigeria Police Force were not met.

HURIWA further recalled how the body embarked on indefinite strike last week over a working condition dispute among other issues.

In a statement yesterday, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko lamented that the Police Service Commission under Smith has become a unit in the office of the IG which is contrary to the statute setting it up as a civilian oversight body of the Nigeria Police.

“It is embarrassing that instead of concerning itself with germane issues in consonance with its mandate, the PSC under Smith has engaged in needless battles like the distraction called the tussle over the recruitment of constables which it has been dragging with the IG, Usman Baba.

“Also, under IGP Smith, the NPF has continued to operate with arrant impunity. For instance, last December, policemen invaded an Anglican church in Imo State where they abducted Rochas Okorocha’s son-in-law, Uche Nwosu.

“A month before then, policemen invaded the Abuja residence of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili, before the police said the invaders were fake personnel. Many of these cases keep recurring yet PSC under Smith has been aloof and unconcerned.”

However, HURIWA stressed that no nation “survives without a guaranteed independent Ombudsman to check the excesses of men in uniform and especially the Police. 

It maintained that till date the police still carry out extra legal executions of citizens but the PSC is not organised in such a way to check this unconstitutional practice of the police.”

“HURIWA posits that Smith honourably resigns or be sacked by the President if he is too tired to focus on the mandate of the commission to guarantee standard welfare for police in the country which will go a long way to boost their morale in the fight against criminality, especially as the country approaches an election year.”