We Will Not Tolerate Abuse of Office, PSC Tells Police Officers

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Police Service Commission (PSC), yesterday, said it will no longer condone serious abuse of office by serving officers, warning serving police officers to stay clear of civil matters and allow the courts do their duties.

Commission chairman, DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd, further warned that serving police officers who are caught meddling in civil matters such as land, rent and marital disputations will henceforth be sanctioned and their promotions suspended.

Argungu spoke when he received in audience a delegation from the Justice Research Institute led by Ade Ipaye and assured he will run a transparent, open and corrupt free administration in the commission, stressing that all funds received by the commission and spent must be accounted for.

According to him, “I will never spare thieves wherever I am. We are here to assist the government fight corruption. I come to work before 8am and I am the last person to leave the office.

“That is leadership.  I have not changed and will never change; I know that leadership is everything. My mandate is not to come here to embezzle money. I must ensure transparency and openness and I will fight to the last.”

Argungu assured the visiting team that the commission will partner them in the area of training so that staff of the commission will be exposed to local and international trainings.

Mr. Ipaye said they were in the commission to assist drive its constitutional mandate to improve the workings of the police. He said they will provide opportunities for the staff of the commission to be trained to understand their role as a supervisory body of the Nigeria Police Force.

 “We will ensure that the PSC is trained and the staff are good enough to discharge its statutory disciplinary functions,” he said.

A statement by Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, said the chairman had earlier announced the setting up of a Joint Oversight of Recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force. This he said is to ensure a seamless and transparent recruitment process.

The chairman and the Inspector General of Police according to him will jointly oversee the recruitment process.

He also announced the establishment of Police Recruitment Secretariat at the Police Service Commission’s headquarter. 

The secretariat he said would serve as the central hub for coordinating all recruitment activities, ensuring communication, proper documentation, and efficiency across all stages of the process. He noted that the portal for recruitment to be accessible for the stakeholders will be domiciled at the Commission’s Corporate Headquarters.