Embattled Chairman of Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith, Resigns

•Union calls for IG’s resignation over constitutional breach

•Wants Buhari to appoint civilian to head commission

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

Embattled Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Musiliu Smith, yesterday, resigned his appointment.

THISDAY gathered that Smith left on health grounds.

Another account said the board of the commission demanded that he stepped down and he accepted.

Spokesman of PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, told THISDAY that the retired Inspector-General of Police resigned his appointment because of his health.

Ani said, “Yes, I can confirm that he has resigned. He resigned on medical grounds and the president has accepted his resignation.”

But striking workers of the commission, while welcoming Smith’s resignation, also called for the resignation of the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba. The workers alleged that Usman had connived with Smith to usurp the constitutional powers of the commission to conduct recruitment and appointment of police officers.

In a chat with THISDAY, Chairman, Joint Union Executives of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr Adoyi Adoyi, called on President Muhammad Buhari not to appoint another retired police chief to head the commission to enable it work effectively.

Adoyi stated, “We welcome his resignation because that is the honourable thing to do. If you are given an assignment and you cannot discharge your responsibility, the natural thing to do is to toe that part of honour and resign.

“There are people he collaborated with in committing constitutional breaches, including the Inspector-General of Police. We are calling on the IG to do the right thing and resign his appointment for his involvement in this constitutional breach.”

The union also called for the appointment of a civilian as head of the commission.

According to Adoyi, “Of all the former chairmen of the commission, Chief Simon Okeke was the best.  He handled issues dispassionately.

“The Bureau for Public Service Reforms (BPSR) had also recommended that the commission be headed by a civilian since the police has a permanent representative on the board of the commission.”

On the strike action embarked upon by workers of the commission, Adoyi said the union’s congress would meet today to take a decision. He said with the PSC chairman’s resignation, the protesting workers might soften their position and consider calling off the strike action.

Workers of the commission had on Tuesday passed a vote of no confidence on Smith. They alleged that he connived with the leadership of the Nigeria Police to usurp the constitutional powers of the commission.

It would be be recalled that a commissioner with the PSC, Naja’atu Bala Muhammad, petitioned the anti-graft body over alleged multi-million naira contract scam and other corrupt practices at the commission under the leadership of the former police boss.

Muhammad, who represents North-west, accused the commission’s chairman of mismanagement of resources and breach of due process by arbitrarily awarding bogus contracts, in a petition dated June 29, 2022.

She stated in the petition to EFCC that the PSC chairman lacked the power to approve expenditure for and on-behalf of the commission, except as approved by the commission’s management. She also disclosed that the management committee responsible for approving capital expenditure only met twice since its inauguration in 2018.

Muhammad stated, “The management committee is akin to the Federal Executive Council, where government expenditures are approved. Sections 12, 13, and 14 of the commission provide for the funds and expenditure of the Commission.

“However, since we came in as commissioners four years ago, management meeting has only been held twice.”

She further revealed in the petition, “On May 11, 2022, without the management committee’s approval, the PSC chairman awarded or caused to be awarded a contract and paid the sum of N34, 749,375, being payment of 50 per cent down payment made to EMPLUG LTD for the design and development of police e-recruitment portal for the commission.

“The contract was awarded regardless of a memo stating clearly that the ICT Department designed the website free of charge and has the capability for upgrade. Yet, due to the fraudulent intentions embedded in the decision, a contract was awarded to do the same thing that the ICT department has already done.

“Another contract payment of major concern is the payment of N36, 228,453.90 to Wedewood Integrated Investment Limited as the final payment of less than five per cent retention fee for the partitioning of office space, installation of wall panel and customised cabinet at the PSC head office building.”

The petition also revealed, “The total sum of this contract paid to the contractor is N447, 473,613.00 without due process or management approval. The payment voucher is attached as Annexure 17.

“From the commission’s account No.2994350018, fraudulent transfers of about N200 million were made to Vita Construction between 9th April 2021 and 14th April 2021 in the tranches of N10 million.

“These payments are typical of the fraud being perpetuated. The reasons for the payment are unknown to the management of the commission, as no approval for payment was given by the management for this expense.

“In your investigation, you will request for the contract executed by this company for the commission to justify such payments and review the process through which the contract was awarded.

“From the same approval that paid Ogo Edward, a staff of the commission, N7, 000,000.00 for the procurement of COVID-19 protective items, approval was also given and he was paid the sum of N25, 000,000.00 for security and other related matters in respect of 2020 Police Recruitment Medical Screening Exercise.

“It must be noted that security coverage is provided by the various Police Commands or Zonal Commands for all police recruitment and the associated exercises.

“The question that the chairman and the Permanent Secretary need to answer is, when did it become the responsibility of the commission to provide security for these exercises.”

Head, Press and Public Relations of the PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, confirmed receipt of the petition by the commission.

Ani said, “The requests, approvals and expenditures were carried out in line with government approved financial regulations.

“Those that required the approval of the Ministerial Tenders Board were brought before the Board and approval received.

“Some others got the certificate of no objection from the Bureau of Public Procurement. Approvals were also officially granted for staff and members of the commission to execute some special projects, such as police recruitment.

“The payments for this special assignment were retired according to laid down rules. But, ironically, the petitioner is confirmed to be in default of this.

“The commission is putting together a response on the petition for the attention of government.”