By Ikechukwu Ani
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- DTA and Travelling expenses for Staff for the Monitoring exercise – N180,957,000.00
- DTA for Staff Training for one day – N6,902,000.00
iii. Payments to Consultants – N28,361,654.01
- Telephone lines and Handsets for Staff – N792,500.00
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
