EMERGENCY RULE: OKIRO, PSC TASKED ON NATIONAL SECURITY

Former Inspector General of Police, Mr Mike Okiro,  and the newly appointed members of the Police Service Commission have been charged to ensure that the Nigerian police is urgently reformed and decentralised for improved security in the country as they take over the hierarchy of police command
 
This was the view of Veteran Olawale Okunniyi, the Coordinating Secretary of Project Nigeria; an emergent political movement of Eminent Leaders of thought in the country, while commenting on the emergency rule declared by President Goodluck Jonathan in three northern states on Monday.
 
Okunniyi, who is also PRONACO Spokesman said there would have been no  need for such precipitate action if policing have been effective in the country. He said what is required in the country is the national political summit already slated for next week in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state coupled with dynamic policing
 
It would be recalled that President Jonathan appointed Mr Mike Okiro recently, a former IGP to head the police service commission with a mandate to inject innovations into policing in the country raising hope in many quarters that the security situation in the country may improve
 
Okunniyi however seized the opportunity to clear the air on the fears expressed by those opposed to the appointment, stating that though Okiro is professionally and constitutionally qualified to head the commission, their concern is that the former police chief may compromise performance since he has been associated in the past with the leadership of the PDP
 
The Ogun state born political activist said “going by Okiro’s profile and exposure, he was a top police cop and legal mind, who is professionally and constitutionally qualified to head the police service commission. However, for Okiro or any other appointee to succeed in turning around the decaying Nigerian police, the commission must be effectively monitored and engaged by the civil society as enduring panacea to the worsening security situation in the country”
 
So, rather than dissipate energy on whether Okiro is constitutionally qualified to head the police commission, we will like to admonish our comrades in the civil society to urgently fashion out modality for strategic engagement of the commission as no public servant  under this present porous governance structure can deliver if not well engaged and prompted by the people
 
Okunniyi said all hands must be on deck for constructive engagement of all the country’s service commissions, including the police, to get the best out the current democracy.
 
He also advised Okiro and his team not to compromise performance as they take over; stressing that it is incumbent on the commission to ensure that the Nigerian police is enabled to combat the growing menace of kidnapping and suicide bombings currently ravaging the country.