From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
CHAIRMAN of Police Service Commission (PSC), Chief Mike Okiro has said the method of recruiting 10,000 policemen into the Nigeria Police Force, as authorised by the Federal Government, must remain sacrosanct and uncompromising, in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s change mantra.
Okiro disclosed this in Onitsha when more than 10 civil society groups unanimously honoured him as the best outstanding PSC boss since its inception about 30 years ago.
The civil society groups included the Transparency group, Human Rights Justice and Peace Foundation, Campaign for Democracy (CD), Human Rights Volunteers Against Corruption, Nigerian Elders Forum, Nigerian Peoples Assembly, International Patriot Against Corruption, Ndigbo United Assembly, Western Movement for Justice, among others.
The PSC chairman stated that he was highly elated and expressed gratitude to the groups for the honour done to him, adding that he never expected such a revered award from groups of reputable human rights organisations.
Okiro later dedicated the award to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the Nigerian security operatives, who lost their lives in the course of defending the nation, having fought gallantly to suppress the activities of insurgents in the North East region.
In their remarks, the leader of the group, Mr. Ifeanyi Odili, its secretary, Abdullahi Jabi and the spokesperson, Dede Uzor .A. Uzor noted that the award was bestowed on Okiro purely on merit having distinguished himself as the best so far, adding that his style of quality leadership was worthy of emulation.
They urged other public office holders to emulate Okiro for his exemplary leadership both as a one-time Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and as the incumbent chairman of PSC.