Following complaints made to it by some staff of the Police Service Commission (PSC) alleging misapplication of fund running to several millions, a pro-transparency group-HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has petitioned the office of the National Security Adviser; office of the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives; Chairman, House Committee on Narcotics and anti-graft and the secretary to the Government of the Federation requesting that the allegations be probed.
A media release endorsed jointly by the National coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Director of media Affairs, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA, a democracy inclined civil society group also invited the top government officials to use their executive powers to probe the said allegations of financial misappropriation and/or abuse of power brought to its attention of the staff who pleaded anonymity against the Chairman of the PSC Mr. Parry Osayande, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police.
The group urged the Government officials to commence immediate probe of the allegations in order to determine the veracity or otherwise of their claims and take legal steps to redress these alleged transgressions if found to be true.
A copy of the position paper sent by the Human Rights WRITERS’ASSOCIATION of NIGERIA, to the National Security Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki[rtd] and made available to the media alleged thus; “Sir, last week we received a written but unsigned petition titled as above brought in by some persons who were clearly known senior Nigerians identified as prominent pioneer staff of the Police Service Commission (PSC) alleging serious cases of violations of extant civil service rules and statues concerning accountability and transparency regime in the commission. These persons also presented photocopies of purported vouchers alleged to be evidence of their knowledge and/or belief that serious cases of official transgression has happened viewed as operating above the law and indeed conducts himself in a manner that displays the odious impression of ‘Alpha and Omega’ portends danger to public interest and endangers national security.”
“It is alarming and reprehensible, that in alleged flagrant disregard for Government Policies and Financial Regulations, an alleged act bordering on alleged corruption and alleged abuse of office, if established after thorough, dispassionate and professional investigation, Mr. Osayande allegedly caused the payment of N4,732,036.85 to be made in his name and Helen Onokwai, a Grade Level 08 [young female]Administration officer functioning as his Secretary, through an alleged Federal Government of Nigeria Payment Voucher No. PSC/OC/425/12 of 07/11/2012 on the alleged reason that he, the Chairman will be travelling to the United Kingdom allegedly for medical checkup and appraisal of recruitment, promotion and discipline cases from 12th– 29th November, 2012 and will be accompanied by his Secretary”.
“Sir, With the Monetization Policy of the Federal Government, the Nigerian tax payer would be interested to know whether a public officer in this case, Mr. Osayande is entitled to Government funding of his medical trip abroad. It would also be of interest to the public to know whether such officer can embark on such medical checkup abroad without the prior approval of the President of the Federation. Again it would be of interest to the public to know what role a staff on Grade Level 08 on such a mission abroad would be playing, allegedly earning a walloping sum of N1,131,250.45, an amount that is far and above three times her annual salary, vis-à-vis
Helen Onokwai GL 08
Chairman’s Secretary
Estacode @ $381 per night X 15 nights = $5,715 (885,825)
Air returned ticket Abuja-London-Abuja (British Airways Economy Class)
$1,583.39 (N245,425.45)
Total = $7,298.39 (N1,131,150.45)”
“Furthermore, and in the same vein, Mr. Osayande has allegedly caused the Commission to pay over N12,000,000.00 (Twelve Million Naira) only to External Solicitors in prosecuting allegedly [his] many cases in Court in alleged clear defiance of Government Policy relating to consent of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation prior to engagement/payment of External Solicitors.”
The group told the NSA further thus “Sir, these petitioners also stated in their position paper that “It is common knowledge in the Nigeria Police Force that Mr. Osayande is allegedly creating the problem of disloyalty within the hierarchy of the Nigeria Police Force as he allegedly operates as if he is superior to the Inspector General of Police in matters of crime prevention and detection”.
