The Police Service Commission (PSC) says it will not extend
the tenure of senior police officers who are expected to retire in the first
quarter of 2023.
The commission said this on Tuesday in a statement by
Ikechukwu Ani, the PSC spokesperson.
The commission said it took the decision at the end of its
management meeting on Monday.
BACKGROUND
Over the past weeks, there have been concerns that some
senior police officers, including Usman Baba, the inspector-general of police
(IGP), would soon be due for retirement in line with the public service rule.
The retirement age for public service officials is 60 years
or after 35 years in service.
The concerns about the expected retirement of some senior
police officers were heightened owing to speculations that it might disrupt the
security plans for the February and March polls.
While answering questions from journalists on the expected
retirement of the IGP, Mohammed Dingyadi, minister of police affairs, said the
appointment of Baba was based on a four-year tenure in line with provisions of
the Police Act of 2020.
“I don’t know where you got your record, but by the
provision of the Police Act 2020, the IGP is now supposed to have a tenure of a
four-year period and Mr President has given him a letter of appointment in that
regard,” Dingyadi had said.
Baba was appointed in April 2021 by President Muhammadu
Buhari.
Based on the profile of the IGP, he will be 60 years old on
March 1, and on March 15, he would have spent 35 years in the police service.
Meanwhile, the appointment and dismissal of the IGP are
subject to the powers of the president, while that of other police officers are
under the purview of the PSC.
‘NO VACUUM WOULD BE
CREATED’
In the statement, the commission said there are officers to
fill up the expected vacant positions.
The commission also said it would not extend the tenures of
retiring senior police officers because it is illegal.
“The Police Service
Commission, the statutory government executive body with the constitutional
mandate to recruit, promote, dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over
persons holding offices in the Nigeria Police Force, except the Inspector
General of Police, wishes to assure Nigerians that there can never be any
leadership vacuum in the NPF,” the statement reads.
“The commission has watched with keen interest the
conversation in the media on whether retiring senior police officers’ tenure
should be elongated or not and whether such retirements would affect the 2023
election security.
“Rising from a
management meeting on Monday, January 23rd, 2023 in Abuja, the commission said
the ongoing campaign for the extension of the tenures of some deputy inspectors
general (DIGs), assistant inspectors general (AIGs), commissioners (CPs), and
other senior police officers was an unnecessary distraction and an affront on
all the existing laws in the country guiding entry and exit in the public
service.
“The commission took a decision that it will not extend the
tenures of the retiring senior police officers, stressing that even when
requested, it can not do so as it is against all existing laws, Police Act,
Police Service Commission Act, and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
“It noted that the
police have capable men and women who should be encouraged to step into the
vacancies that would be created by the existing officers.
“It assured Nigerians that there is an institutional
succession plan in the Nigeria Police Force, especially with the current injection
of 10,000 Constables and several other thousands of cadet ASPs from the Police
Academy every year.
“The commission
assured Nigerians that there would be no vacuum in the hierarchy of the Police
with the touted retirement of hundreds of senior police officers.
“It took a decision to rigidly uphold the provisions of the law which stipulates that a serving public officer, whether in the police or in any other government agency, must exit the service at the age of 60 or having served for a period of 35 years.”
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