Arase establishes retired officers forum to curb PSC-NPF feud

The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Solomon Arase has set up a maiden Retired Officers Consultative Forum to interact and interrogate issues and challenges confronting the Nigeria Police Force.

Arase, while speaking on the development said the forum is expected to avail retired officers of the needed opportunities and platform to give back to the Force.

A statement issued by PSC Spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani, on Wednesday, in Abuja said the forum is also aimed at ensuring that the sociopolitical vagaries and contemporary societal complexities do not condemn the Nigeria Police Force to a paper tiger in the security architecture of Nigeria.

According to the statement, Arase said, “I deemed it necessary to form a community of retired Police Officers, named Retired Officers Consultative Forum, that will act as a think tank for the Force and PSC, through dispassionate interrogation of issues, generation of ideas and proffering solutions on issues of Security Sector Reforms.”

‘’The Forum, Arase noted “aims at providing a veritable platform to the retired Officers to critically examine contemporary issues and challenges affecting the NPF, and recommend pragmatic and actionable solutions and responses, for optimal functionality of the Force in delivering on its mandate,’’ the statement said.

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It said the Forum will provide the opportunity to leverage the PSC’s experiential knowledge and advise the PSC and NPF on policies and measures that will ensure a harmonious working relationship between the two institutions.

The forum will also reposition the police for greater efficiency and effectiveness in restoring its primacy in internal security in Nigeria

Arase said the forum will further serve as a platform for eliciting interest in the possible recruitment of members who are interested in participating as resource persons in the training programmes of the Commission, for both members of the two institutions; as well as serving as a recruitment platform for the recommendation of qualified and competent retired officers for consideration for different appointments.

“The Chairman told the Members that the responsibility of rescuing and repositioning the NPF is a collective task that demands the participation and involvement of “our noble senior citizens, adding that the future of the Nigeria Police is threatened with the ever-changing socio-political dynamics of our country coupled with the exponential depletion of our experienced officers and specialists through retirement.

“Arase invited the senior citizens to join him in this tortuous but great journey of commitment, sacrifice and love for the Nigeria Police Force by getting actively involved in this forum.

“The National President of the Retired Police Officers Association of Nigeria, Elder Steven A. Aiyewumi, AIG rtd, in his message at the inaugural meeting said it was obvious that the Nigeria Police Force was facing myriads of challenges and that it will take the combined efforts of both retired Officers and the Force leadership to identify these problems and proffer solutions to them,” the statement said.