[By CLEMENT NWOJI, Abuja]
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday directed the newly inaugurated
Board of the Police Service Commission to cleanse the Nigerian Police of
bad eggs who he described as “viruses” denting its image. He chided the
police, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), other para-military service
as well as the military for indulging in promotions not based on merit,
competence, performance and qualifications of officers. The president
also explained that this constitutes the reason there are “viruses and
all kinds of characters in the police force,” leading to abysmal
performance of some of them. Also yesterday, indications emerged that
the Federal Government is considering the scraping of about 220
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) out of the current 541 Federal parastatals in a bid
to enhance efficiency and reduce cost of administration. Going by the
provisions of the Draft Bill on national fertilizer quality control,
adulterators of fertilizer products risk seven years jail term apart
from other punishments. These were disclosed yesterday at a briefing
after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President
Jonathan with Vice President Namadi Sambo in attendance at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja. The Special Adviser to the President on Media
and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, in company of the ministers of
agriculture, water resources and mines, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, Mrs Sara
Ochekpe and Arch. Muhammad Sada, respectively briefed State House
correspondents.
The president gave the charge to the police while inaugurating the
Board of the Nigeria Police Service Commission headed by a former
Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, as Chairman at the Presidential
Villa, Abuja, prior to the commencement of the Federal Executive
Council meeting. Other members of the Board of the Police Service
Commission include: Alhaji Yakubu Mohammed, Justice Lola Adekeye, Hajiya
Aisha Lare Tukur, Dame Comfort Obi and Dr. Tongi Anyi. According to
President Jonathan, “One thing, and probably I will mention here today
is the issue of Nigeria Police. You will agree with me that Nigerians
don’t have so much confidence in the Nigeria Police, but Nigerian
policemen are good. The Nigeria Police that work outside under United
Nations are highly honoured, highly commended and Okiro will agree with
me.
“But once we come back home that is not reflected in what we do. Even
now that we have challenges, you will see that, especially when the
Police Headquarters was bombed, some people came to me and said Mr.
President, ‘sack all police officers working in that place from
Assistant Commissioner of Police and above.’ “I did not sack any because
of that incident, but that was the advice I got. That if you do that,
the new people that would be posted there will sit up. How could the
police allow their headquarters to be bombed by a very local group
called Boko Haram?” Jonathan charged the Okiro to further instill
discipline within the police and ensure that those who deserve
promotion should be promoted, while those found wanting should be
dismissed. He said, “But I believe there are two things: one is the
issue of discipline. And so, one of the responsibilities of the Police
Service Commission is to instill discipline. Another thing I believe is
that people who do not merit certain ranks are being promoted to those
ranks.
“One of your responsibilities is to handle promotion. I believe with
you, only those who merit or deserve promotion should be promoted. Those
who deserve to be disciplined or even dismissed must be disciplined.”
Furthermore, the president indicated that a white paper on the reform of
the Nigeria Police will soon be released, but enjoined the PSC to make
input into it so that it will be comprehensive enough to improve the
operations of the Force. “The Federal Executive Council, maybe in the
next one or two weeks, we are going to look at the report because we
want to come up with a white paper on the police reform report. But
since we have just appointed you, we give you privilege to look at the
document before we come out with a white paper. “So that if there is a
suggestion that you will bring, bring it so that it will be part of the
white paper since you are the one to manage the police. It is only
proper that you and I will think alike and be on the same page, because
we need to reform the Nigeria Police for a better service for us all,”
he said.
The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mike Okiro, who
fielded questions from State House correspondents shortly after the
swearing-in, said his priority would ,among other things, center on
boosting the morale of the policemen. He said, “We will look at the
extant laws and see the areas that the Police Service Commission is
supposed to act to reform the Nigeria Police and it is an issue that
requires the handiwork and cooperation of everybody; the press, you
people, Nigerians and the police officers themselves have to open up
their minds for reform.” He explained that there are reasons why police
officers perform better outside the country than while in Nigeria,
citing enabling environment and equipment.
“The reasons are far reaching. One, you can find out that the
environment is different, the people are different and also, the
equipment and what to work with. The Nigerian police officers, while
rendering service outside this country under the United Nations, give
them the wherewithal to do the work.
“It is not an indictment on the system, neither is it on the
Presidency or me. What we are talking about is that time changes,
society is dynamic. What happened few years ago is not what is happening
now. You know at that time there was no Boko Haram, but there is right
now. “So, you have to work as the situation demands at the moment. So,
what I am going to do now is to look at what is making the police not to
perform optimally this time, at this period of our nation’s history. I
will try and address those issues. “Officers from ACP up are not
feeling very happy. Many of them have no houses, the morale of the
police is quite low, they need to be motivated; you have to look into
what will make them perform optimally.
“If you give somebody something to work with, he works well for you.
If you pay somebody very well, he works very well for you. If you give
somebody pittance, you get pittance service from him. So, we have to
look at the welfare of the police first and foremost,” Okiro said.
However, the scrapping of the 220 MDAs is based on consideration of the
White Paper on the report of the Presidential Committee on the
Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals,
Commissions and Agencies, otherwise known as the Oronsaye Committee.
Abati explained that the White Paper is already at the domain of the
Federal Executive Council for consideration, revealing that out of the
existing 541 parastatals, the White Paper Drafting Committee accepted
321. He, however, allayed fears that the scraping of the MDAs will
result in laying off many workers and generate hardships in the country.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, “Council began a review of the report of the Presidential
Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Government
Parastatals, Commissions and agencies what is popularly referred to as
the Oronsaye committee. “The draft White Paper had already been prepared
based on the report of that committee and what council took today was
the draft white paper for discussion and review. “It is ongoing, that
process will continue during the next meeting. I know that many people
have expressed concerns on when the white paper will be released. This
makes it very clear that works have been ongoing on the report of that
committee.
“After the draft of that white paper was submitted, a review
committee was set up by Mr. President, which also considered the report
and now it is being considered at the level of the FEC and you can be
sure that in due course, the white paper with regards to the
restructuring and rationalisation of government’s parastatals, agencies
and commissions will be released.
“There is no cause for any anxiety. The Oronsaye Committee considered
suggestions, recommendations from different quarters and in total, that
committee looked at 541 federal parastatals, commissions and agencies.
The white paper drafting committee out of that, accepted 321, noted some
recommendations, rejected some. “At the end of the day, the FEC will
take final decision on this recommendation and when that is done, the
white paper will be made public. I don’t think we should jump the gun,
the thing to note is that all of this is being done to ensure
efficiency, to reduce the cost of government, to avoid leakages and
wastages and to make government far more effective in delivering quality
service to Nigerians.
“This is not targeted at pushing anybody out of work. This is not an exercise in making life difficult for anybody.
This is just government restructuring for better efficiency. People
should not be unduly anxious. “You can be assured that now that it is at
the level of the FEC, work will be completed on it very quickly, the
white paper will be released and it will be implemented accordingly.” On
the National Fertilizer Control Draft Bill, the Minister of
Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, explained that the Bill is targeted
at making Nigeria the major hub of fertilizer in African region.
According to him, “The draft bill is looking at the issue of quality
control in the fertilizer sector. As you know that since we started the
libralisation of the fertiliser sector, there’s been quite a lot of
private sector engagement. We have noticed overtime that we had
challenges in terms adulteration of fertilizer in the system.”
http://www.mydailynewswatchng.com/2013/06/13/purge-police-of-corruption-jonathan-charges-commission/
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