Police chiefs, especially those in the ranks of Deputy Commissioners of Police and Assistant Commissioners of Police, are presenting seething in anger as news filtered out that the Police Service Commission’s Chairman, Sir Mike Mbama Okiro, has prepared another “Police Special Promotion List”.
This news came just as Okiro is clearing his office table in preparation for vacating the seat of the chairman of the PSC.
Okiro is expected to leave the office by June 11.
He was appointed on a single tenure of five years on June 11, 2013.
Okiro is a former Inspector-General of Police before he was appointed as the PSC chairman.
When he was appointed as PSC chairman, several Civil Society Organisations kicked against his appointment, alleging that he had integrity issues.
Another former Inspector-General of Police, Musiliu Smith, has already been announced as the new kid in the block and is waiting impatiently at the bay for Okiro to take a hike.
Before the appointment of Smith, other retired police chiefs had battled for the mantle.
Also, four Deputy Inspector-Generals of Police made underground moves for the position.
The four DIGs are expected to retire by July.
There would be four vacancies for management positions by July.
Since Okiro’s appointment, several scandals had rocked his administration, chief among them being allegations of promotions for sale to highest bidder, often clothed as special promotions.
Okiro had been confronted with some of these accusations and allegations, but had staunchly denied them.
The latest allegation now is that Okiro has fine-tuned plans and had come up with a masterplan to promote some policemen to the ranks of Commissioners of Police.
According to sources, Okiro has allegedly described the forthcoming promotions as his “parting gift”.
Policemen are however seething because those that are going to benefit from the alleged parting gift are at the lower cadre of Deputy Commissioners of Police.
The promotion will witness the beneficiaries becoming senior to those already at the upper cadre waiting for their promotion.
A source close to the PSC said: “We heard that more than five policemen have been penciled down for this Okiro’s parting gift.
“But the truth is that influential politicians are the ones agitating for those policemen to be promoted before Okiro leaves office.
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“The announcement will be made soon.”
It is also gathered that not long ago, some policemen lobbied to be promoted to the ranks of CPs since their retirement was close.
They were given and most of them had since retired. M
eanwhile, those who are their senior in the police list, are still waiting to be promoted.
A policeman said: “The system has been bastardised.
“How can PSC keep promoting junior officers over their seniors?
“The system should be stabilized and the right policing tradition upheld.
“We are, however, hopeful, that Smith will sanitise the PSC.
“There are many senior policemen, especially DCP, who should be promoted, but had not been promoted.
Source: The Eagleonline
