Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo has said that individuals that retired as police officers should not be considered for appointment as chair of the Police Service Commission, PSC.
Recall that the senate had in January 2023 confirmed retired inspector-general of the police, IGP, Solomon Arase, as substantive chair of the PSC after President Muhammadu Buhari asked the red chamber to confirm him in line with provisions of section 153 (1) and 154 (1) of the constitution as amended.
Before Arase was appointed, Musiliu Smith, a former IG, served as chair of the PSC.
Obasanjo while speaking on Wednesday at the public presentation of a book titled ‘Policing the Nigeria Police’, written by Simon Okeke, a former chairperson of PSC, said retired police officers should not be appointed to head the PSC.
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The former president said men of the force should instead be appointed as members of the commission, while civilians should be considered as chair.
Obasanjo said this would ensure effective and efficient service delivery.
He said, “I won’t say yes or no, but can they not be abused by the federal government?
“For a federation, it is contrary to the ideal of the country because unitary policing system is not close enough to the community where the police are supposed to be.
“The author argued whether the name should truly be the Nigeria Police Force or a police service. I believe the police should be a police service, not a police force.”
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