The last may not have been heard on the controversy surrounding the tenure in office of the inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Baba, as the Police Service Commission (PSC) and Ministry of Police Affairs give contradicting opinion on the situation.
PSC, Monday, denied report by an online media that the commission has endorsed alleged tenure elongation bid by IGP Usman Baba.
There have been speculations over the tenure of IGP Baba, appointed as police boss by President Muhammadu Buhari on April 6, 2021, but would clock 60 years on March 1, which is the official retirement age for serving police officers.
The Minister of Police of Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, while responding to questions from State House correspondents, recently, had said the issue of the police boss leaving office during the general elections period does not arise.
Dingyadi said, “I don’t know where you got your record, but by the provision of Police Act 2020, the IGP is now supposed to have a tenure of 4-year period and Mr. President has given him a letter of appointment in that regard. So the issue of the IG going out during this election period does not arise.”
However, the commission in a press statement by the Head, Media and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, said: “The attention of the PSC has been drawn to an online publication in Supremenewsng.com where the commission was said to have endorsed the tenure elongation of the current Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Baba.”
Ani said, “The online publication in a supposed interview with PSC Commissioner representing the Police, AIG Lawal Bawa (rtd), stated that the commission was not against the extension of the tenure of the IGP.”
He said the publication further quoted the commissioner stating:” If the IGP feels that it will affect effective monitoring of the elections, let him write to the President for their extension, We (PSC) have no objection.”
He said “The commissioner has since denied making such statement, stressing that he was obviously misquoted.
“According to him, he told the online publication that it was the prerogative of Mr. President to decide.
“The Commission therefore wishes to state that it has not endorsed any tenure elongation for the current Inspector General of Police. As a matter of fact the commission was never contacted on this subject at any time.
“It notes that it will always commit itself to the letters and spirit of the laws of the land and will not at any time support or encourage any attempt to subvert these laws.”
Ani further stated that, “The commission wishes to appeal to the media to avoid unnecessary sensationalism in an attempt to attract huge readership.
“The commission will also continue to work to ensure an effective and efficient Nigeria Police rooted in the rules and regulations governing it’s operations.”
