By Micheal Peter, The Sight News
Abuja: The Nigeria Police Service Commission (PSC) has described as baseless reports suggesting that it immorally awarded Special Promotion to Officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
Recall that the Commission had come under harsh criticisms over allegations that police officers pay between N500,000 to N2.5million to benefit from the special promotion being coordinated by the Commission and office of the Inspector General of Police.
A development, which prompted the federal government to suspend the exercise until sanity is restored.
Reacting to the allegation at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Commission, Mike Okiro disclosed that an investigation panel headed by a Retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Olufun-lola Adekeye has been set up to unravel the truth of the matter.
He said “on the allegations that some officials of the commission are taking money for promotions, we have embarked on a self purging exercise by setting up an investigation panel headed by Justice Olufun-lola Adekeye, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court to fish out such people who might have taken money for promotions. We appeal that anyone who gave money or have information about anyone collecting money for promotion should bring their evidence to the investigation panel”.
He however, insisted that there was no way the reports could be true as the Commission does not unilaterally award special promotion without the recommendation from the Inspector General, Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government with who the particular officer works.
Okiro also cited other sources of advocacy that can determine the award of a special promotion to include; “prominent Citizens of high integrity with whom the officer works and civil society organizations and other NGOs sufficiently conversant with the officer’s performance”.
The Chairman of the commission noted that as a result of the allegations, the commission has decided to put on hold, all recommendations for special promotions until further notice.
He however noted that the already processed promotions will be reappraised and released at the appropriate time or referred to the Inspector General of Police to furnish the Commission with details of each recommended individual officer’s performance that qualifies him for special promotion.
