Re: Petition Against Hon. Chairman Police Service Commission

Police Service Commission

–

The attention of the Police Service Commission has been drawn to a

frivolous petition against its Chairman, Sir (Dr.) Mike Mbama Okiro, a

retired Inspector General of Police and published in some online

publications.  The petition allegedly sent to the Economic And

Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices

and other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC), was signed by Mr. Aaron

Kaase, a Principal Administrative Officer in the Press and Public

Relations Unit of the Commission.

In the alleged petition, Mr. Kaase levelled series of false and

malicious accusations against the person of the Hon. Chairman and

further distributed the petition to some online publications obviously

with intent to embarrass and ridicule the Hon. Chairman.

The Commission would have ignored these publications as they were mere

tissues of lies, but for the need to put the record straight, disabuse

the minds of innocent Nigerians and protect the integrity of both the

Commission and its Hon. Chairman.

The Commission’s official position on the petition is hereby presented below:

1. We confirm that as a build up to the 2015 General Elections, the

Commission relying on provisions of its Establishment Act, sought for

funding from various sources but received only the sum of N350 million

from a source for the training of Monitors for the exercise and

monitoring of the conduct of Policemen deployed for election duties

during the elections.  This was not the first time the Commission was

engaging in this exercise as it had previously monitored Police

conducts since 2003 General Elections.  The Commission sought and

received approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement to engage

experts/consultants to train the staff of the Commission and other

stakeholders it intended to deploy on the monitoring exercise.

1. We note that although the Commission had initially scheduled

trainings in Lagos for Staff and other auxiliary personnel such as

NYSC members, IT students, Policemen and some Members of the Police

Community Relations Committee that were to be deployed in the South

West for the exercise and the same for Kano for those to be deployed

to the North and Abuja for the intended remaining Monitors for the

effective coverage of 774 Local Government Areas of the country.  It

could not go ahead with the plan because the approval from Bureau of

Public Procurement (BPP) came late.  We received BPP approval on

23/3/2015 while the Staff was billed to depart to their states of

deployment on 25/3/2015.  Therefore the Staff could only be trained

for one day i.e. 24/3/2015 on what to do, expect and what their duties

should be.

1. The Staff strength of the Commission is 387 excluding National

Youth Corps Members and IT personnel.  But the issue is that the

Commission had earlier intended to source for auxiliary staff to

assist it monitor the exercise for wider and effective coverage.

1. We want to put it on record that there was no expenditure of the

sum of N275, 525, 000 for the training of the Commission’s staff for

the Monitoring exercise.  There was no way the Commission could have

invested N275, 525,000 on training alone that does not include the

payment of Duty Tour Allowances, travel allowances and other benefits

to Staff for the exercise itself.  It should also be noted that the

expenditures were drawn from the N350 million received by the

Commission.  As at today the Commission still has a balance of

N133,641,795.49 in its special account for the exercise.

A break-down of the expenditures is as follows:

• Amount Received –

N350,000,000.00

• Expenditures

1. DTA and Travelling expenses for Staff for the

Monitoring exercise

–         N180,957,000.00

1. DTA for Staff Training for one day – N6,902,000.00

iii.       Payments to Consultants               –

N28,361,654.01

500. Telephone lines and Handsets for Staff – N792,500.00

1. Poster/handbills/ID Cards               –         N375,000.00

Total             –                  –         –

N217,388,154

Balance         –                  –         –

N132,611,845.99

All the payments were made into the bank accounts of the

beneficiaries.  This is verifiable.  The balance of N132,611,845.99 is

in the bank account of the Commission.  The Chairman has not touched

any Kobo of the money.  This is also verifiable.

1. The Commission organised a one day training programme for its

Staff which involved all the personnel deployed for the monitoring of

Police conduct during the elections.  Payments made for this training

covered only one day.  It can be verified.

1. The allegation that the Hon. Chairman has severally collected

money under the pretext of travelling abroad for official duties

without doing so is patently false and actionable.

1. The Chairman has also not used any Special Assistant nor

Personal Assistant to defraud the government as there are laid down

rules guiding the engagement of such aides which the Commission has

followed religiously till date.

1. We consider the petition by Mr. Aaron as fictitious, frivolous

and an affront on the Public Service Rules which clearly provides

procedures for an aggrieved staff to pursue his/her grievance.  The

Commission is presently looking into the rules and will surely allow

the law to take its course.

The Commission considers these allegations very serious and has

therefore requested the appropriate agencies to investigate them for

the benefit of Nigerians.

Aaron Kaase is not a whistle blower, but a drowning Criminal.  As

Protocol Officer for the Commission before his redeployment to the

Press and Public Relations Unit, he defrauded somebody of the sum of

One Million Naira (N1m) under the pretext of securing a USA visa for

him in October 2014.  The matter was reported to Zone 7 Police

Headquarters in FCT Abuja.  Aaron was arrested, detained and finally

charged to court and remanded in Kuje Prisons (See Saturday Vanguard

May 16, 2015 page 6 captioned “PSC protocol officer arraigned for

cheating”, also Leadership, May 16 2015 page 8).  Based on this Aaron

Kaase was written a letter dated 21st May, 2015 suspending him from

duty in accordance with Rule No. 030406 of the Public Service Rules.

Aaron Kaase’s false and malicious accusations against the Hon.

Chairman of the Police Service Commission was his futile way of

grabbing a non existing fact to get back at the Commission and the

Staff for suspending him from duty over his criminal escapades.

Ikechukwu Ani

Head, Press and Public Relations

26th May, 2015