NIGERIA: Musiliu Smith resigns as Chairman Police Service Commission, Acting Chairman emerges

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

Chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC) in Nigeria, Alhaji Musliu Adeola Kunbi Smith (MAKS), has resigned from his position.

The DEFENDER gathered that he resigned on Wednesday with the Spokesman of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, who confirmed this, promising to issue an official statement to the effect.

The PSC chairman’s resignation was coming against the backdrop of the controversies trailing the commission’s recruitment of constables, which we gathered was being orchestrated by some civil servants, who are staff of the Commission.

The rules governing the PSC and Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and their functions are said to be clear as police is to recruit while the Commission promotes senior officers.

In August, the Nigeria Police Force had dismissed an advertisement by PSC on recruitment of constables into the force.

Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, said the NPF has no connection with the advert, which was placed by PSC in the national dailies. Hours later, the Commission announced the suspension of the recruitment.

Following the development, PSC workers declared an indefinite strike over what they described as “breach of conditions necessary for working harmony.”

The PSC workers, led by Adoyi Adoyi, Chairman of Joint Union Congress, PSC chapter, also asked Smith to resign if he cannot uphold the mandate of the commission as it relates to recruitment of constables.

In fulfillment of its earlier promise to release official statement on the resignation of its Chairman, Alhaji Musliu Adeola Kunbi Smith, the Police Service Commission (PSC)’s Press and Public Relations Department said, on Thursday, that the Retired Inspector General of Police formally resigned his appointment and that the resignation had been accepted by President Muhammadu Buhari with immediate effect.

Ikechukwu Ani, the Head, Press and Public Relations​ of the Commission, stated this in a statement he sent by WhatsApp to The DEFENDER Thursday evening.

According to Ani, Alhaji Smith resigned on health grounds.

“Following his resignation and in pursuant to Schedule 2(4) sub-section 2(2) of the Police Service Commission Establishment Act 2001, Members of the Management of the Commission met yesterday, Wednesday, September 14th, 2022, and nominated a colleague, Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, as the acting Chairman pending the appointment of a new Chairman by Mr. President,” Ani said on Thursday.

According to him, Justice Ogunbiyi, who was until her nomination the Commissioner 1 in the Commission and next in hierarchy to the former Chairman, expressed her appreciation to her colleagues for the confidence reposed on her and pledged to run an inclusive administration based on the rule of law.

She said the Commission deserves the best and promised to ensure that the Management will do everything possible to give the Staff, a Commission they will be proud of.

“We will do our best by the grace of God and I believe our best will be good enough” she noted.

Meanwhile the Joint Union Congress of the Commission has suspended its strike action to allow the new Management to look into its demands.

The present Management of the Commission was inaugurated on the 25th of July 2018 and is expected to exit on the 24th of July 2023.”