Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Solomon Arase, has formed a Retired Officers’ Consultative Forum to act as the think tank for the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the commission.

Mr Arase, a former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), announced this at the maiden meeting of the forum on Wednesday in Abuja.

“It is no news that these two critical institutions of government have engaged in a seemingly perennial conflict of power and interest, which started from disputations over roles and responsibilities and regrettably compounded and snowballed into legal contestations,” Mr Arase said.

He expressed the belief that the operational knowledge and independence of the Inspector-General of Police should be respected without undermining the oversight powers of the commission on the police force.

He expressed commitment to seeing NPF and PSC working harmoniously for the overall betterment of the force while focusing on Security Sector Reforms (SSR) through training and retraining.

The former police boss said the forum provided a veritable platform for retired officers to critically examine the contemporary issues and challenges affecting the police force.

According to him, it will also allow the retired officers to leverage their experience in offering useful advice to PSC and NPF on policies and measures that will ensure a harmonious working relationship between the two institutions.

“It will help to also reposition NPF for greater efficiency and effectiveness in restoring its primacy in internal security in Nigeria.

“The forum will also 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 members of the two institutions.

“It will equally serve as a platform for qualified and competent retired officers for consideration for different appointments,” he said.

Mr Arase noted that the responsibility of rescuing and repositioning the police force required senior citizens’ participation and involvement.

He added that the force’s future was hanging in the balance, with the ever-changing socio-political dynamics of Nigeria, coupled with the exponential depletion of experienced officers and specialists occasioned by retirement.

The former police boss pledged to end what he called the unsavoury relationship that had hitherto characterised the police leadership and the commission. 

(NAN)