PSC Solicits NUJ’s Partnership For Better Policing

The Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Solomon Arase, has solicited the support of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to promote harmonious working relationship between the commission and the media.
Arase stated this during an interactive session with the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ), in Abuja, last Friday.
He said the commission’s mandate include appointment, promotion, and discipline of all police officers except the Inspector-General of Police.
Arase stated that the commission was committed to collaborating with the media to ensure proper working relationship with the commission and in extension the police force.
He said he had also held similar stakeholders meeting with relevant bodies to ensure a seamless working relationship with the commission.
While noting the need for synergy between the PSC, Media and police, Arase said there would be constant training between police and the media for interface to ensure proper working relationship for the good of the country.
He reiterated the commission’s readiness to change the negative narratives about the frosty relationship that had existed between the commission and the public, noting that the commission had been very silent in recent times.
According to him, the commission had noticed that the faulty recruitment process of the Police was responsible for some of the misconducts of personnel in Nigeria.

Arase also said the commission aimed to continue its pally with relevant stakeholders to seek ways of improving policing in Nigeria.

“If you are going to police the system very well, you need the cooperation of the public”, Arase said.

He insisted that there must be zero tolerance to misconduct by personnel, adding that punitive measures had been put in place to discourage wrong doings saying, “some Police personnel have had to go because of their bad behavior”.

Responding, the NUJ President, Chris Isiguzo, congratulated Arase on his appointment, adding that the union would work with the commission to ensure success.

“What you’ve done today is clearly in your character. During your time as Inspector-General of Police, you carried the media along and this afternoon, you have re-emphasise your love for the media.

“We will give you all the support needed to succeed. One of the things we must take out of this meeting is a commitment to the training and retraining of police personnel”,  Isiguzo said.

According to him, that is the need to create a platform for police and journalists to interface and get to know each other as both were doing the same job for the betterment of the country.

Isiguzo appealed to the government through the PSC Chairman not to deprive the media of its representation as according to him, there are rumors that plans are underway to remove the media representative from the commission.

The two leaders agreed to work together for the good of Police, the media and the nation  at large.