The CLEEN Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has called for tenure of office of the Inspector-General of Police (I-G) to isolate the occupant from political interference.
A statement by Mr Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations, Police Service Commission, on Friday in Abuja, said the foundation made the call during a visit to the commission.
The Executive Director of the Foundation, Dr. Benson Olugbuo, urged the commission to buy into the idea and ensure its legislative backing.
Olugbuo said a specific tenure would secure the independence of the office of the I-G in the performance of it duties.
“There should be security of tenure for the I-Gs so that they can do their jobs and be fairly independent”, he said.
The executive director said the visit was part of the programme of the foundation’s 20th anniversary celebration.
The executive director presented a 55 inch Android television set to the commission and promised to train the staff that would operate it.
He urged the commission to take advantage of the gadget and engage more with the public so as to give hope to the citizens who had been at the receiving end of police brutality.
In his remark, the Chairman of the commission, Mr Musiliu Smith, said the new management of the commission was prepared to engage the citizens.
Smith, represented by retired Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, a Commissioner in the commission, said it would look into the request.
“We will impress on it when we are called upon to give our opinion and collectively we will come to an agreement on what is good for our nation,” he said.
He said that security should be everybody’s business, adding that the foundation was doing a great job by ensuring that the citizens had a voice.
The chairman said the commission would effectively play its role to ensure that every police officer involved in electoral duties must operate within the guidelines set by it.
“We will ensure that police officers are not partisan; they must protect the citizens to perform their civic responsibilities. Any police officer who flouts the guidelines will be brought to book,” he said.
