PSC, NPF Will Work For Better Police Force, Says Arase

Newly appointed chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Dr Solomon Arase, has pledged cordial working relationship with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in order to have an improved and professional police organisation.

Arase, who was the 18th Indigenous inspector-general of police, was inaugurated as the 5th chairman of the PSC, an organisation, which supervises the activities of the NPF on Wednesday by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja yesterday, the former IGP promised to address the issue of corruption and the recurring issues or conflicts of roles between the IGP and the commission.

He also promised to make the welfare of officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force and the staff of the PSC a top priority.

He further stated that “every policeman was a civilian and will return to civilian life after retirement as I have since I retired some seven years ago.

“The benefits that are derivable from good conduct as a police officer, they will continue to reap when they retire. So that is what I will emphasise.”

On ways to improve the relationship between the commission and the police, Arase said: “If you look at the calibre of people you have in the commission, then you also look at the professional skills of the police management team, there is no way that there won’t be occasional issues.

“What I think we should do is that each of the parties should not learn to take everything. There must be negotiation, empathy, and respect for each of our roles.

“I will expect that the commission will allow the IGP to exercise his operational control over the police. And that the IGP himself will respect the constitutional powers of the Police Service Commission. So, there must be mutual respect between both parties. I don’t foresee any crisis at all.”