The Minister of Police Affairs, Mr Muhammad Dingyadi, has kicked against the whittling down the power of the President in the Police Service Commission (PSC) amendment bill.
Dingyadi stated this yesterday at the public hearing on the “Bill for an Act to Repeal the Police Service Commission Act and enact the Police Service Commission Bill, 2020” and a “Bill for an Act to Provide for Establishment of the National Institute for Police Studies” at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The two bills were sponsored by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi (APC Plateau), to address issues of gender bias in the former Police Act where a woman can’t rise to the position of Commissioner of Police or the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and to ensure that anyone appointed would spend four years as provided in the constitution in order to have enough time to effect reform in the force.
Dingyadi said: “The ministry has about four or five observations to make. First one has to do with what is contained in Section 5 of the draft bill where the power of Mr. President to remove the Chairman and members has to some extent been deleted, leaving only the power of members to resign at their own time. We cannot see Mr Chairman, if it is for the removal of this provision, especially since the Chairman and members of this commission are appointed by Mr President, whoever has the power to appoint should naturally have the power to remove.” (ThisDay)