By Danlami Nmodu
A staff of Police Service Commission, Mr Aaaron Kaase who recently exposed the multi-million Naira 2015 election scam by the Commission’s Chairman,former IGP Mike Okiro has been suspended.
The man who exposed the fraud said in a written update of his travails emailed to Newsdiaryonline that “In furtherance to disregard for our laws, Mr. Okiro convened a plenary session of the PSC on the 27th of May 2015 and took a unilateral decision to suspend me from office and backdated it to 21st May 2015, the same day the court motion on notice was served on him and the Commission. I am still amazed as to whether the back dated decision was forged by one Mr. I be, Director Administration and Finance of PSC or whether it was actually a decision of respected members of the Commission including a retired Supreme Court judge?”
Kaase exposed what he called the 275million fraud in a petition he submitted to anti-graft agencies including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ,EFCC last week.The story was broken by Newsdiaryonline detailing how the commission claimed to be training staff in places like Lagos where it has no office.The petition also alleged that the Police Service Commission under Okiro’s leadership deceived the Bureau of Public Procurement ,BPP which granted approval of selective bidding for the training programme.
Also,Kaase asserted and showed evidence in the petition that though Okiro claimed he was training about 1000 staff of the commission for election monitoring duties, the actual staff strength of the commission nationwide was not more than 400.
He also said that Okiro has dragged the SARS into the saga.” On Tuesday and Thursday, we were guests of the police anti tracking and interception unit under the office of the IGP, but housed within the premises of the SARS at old abattoir in Garki, Abuja. The Police are acting on a supposed complaint by Mr. Okiro for allegedly leaking official information and defamation of his character.
“The question here is, with the Freedom of information act now in place, is there anything like the Secrets Oath? And what is defamation when there is an official and signed petition against you before the anti- graft agencies?
The Commission had in a rejoined to the story published by Newsdiaryonline said Kaase’s allegations of fraud were baseless and frivolous.
Read the full text of Kaase’s written update on the issue:
President Buhari must sack Chairman, Police Service Commission , Mike Okiro.
As a fallout to my letters accussing Mr. Mike Okiro, Chairman Police Service Commission of fraud(419) and gross corruption which were sent to the EFCC and ICPC which I have evidence, Mr. Okiro has unleashed the Nigeria Police force on me and my colleague Mr. Raymond Amase.
On Tuesday and Thursday, we were guests of the police anti tracking and interception unit under the office of the IGP, but housed within the premises of the SARS at old abattoir in Garki, Abuja. The Police are acting on a supposed complaint by Mr. Okiro for allegedly leaking official information and defamation of his character.
The question here is, with the Freedom of information act now in place, is there anything like the Secrets Oath? And what is defamation when there is an official and signed petition against you before the anti- graft agencies?
This is also happening in fragrant disobedience to a court motion on notice in a N500,000,000 suit against Mike Okiro, Suprem Ibitomi and the IGP before Justice O.O Goodluck of the FCT high court restraining the respondents not to take any actions until the determination of the suit slated for mention on the 30/6/2015.
In furtherance to disregard for our laws, Mr. Okiro convened a plenary session of the PSC on the 27th of May 2015 and took a unilateral decision to suspend me from office and backdated it to 21st May 2015, the same day the court motion on notice was served on him and the Commission. I am still amazed as to whether the back dated decision was forged by one Mr. I be, Director Administration and Finance of PSC or whether it was actually a decision of respected members of the Commission including a retired Supreme Court judge?
I maintain that when you fight corruption, it fights back and I have seen now that by exposing this corrupt and. Powerful government official, my salary has been stopped through this kangaroo suspension, but am not deterred. Corruption must be fought headlong and it’s not just the responsibility of Mr. President but all citizens holding public office no matter what position they may occupy.
I also want to submit that if Mr. Okiro is not suspended on that seat, no meaningful investigation may come out of EFCC as the head of the organisation, been a serving police officer who is an employee of PSC and benefits from promotion from the agency may not act as he should. A mere Google of the name Mike Okiro brings unpleasant memories of fraud. May God help Nigeria.
By Monday I will be in the industrial court to challenge my phantom suspension.
Aaron Kaase, Principal Admin. Officer, Police Service Commission