POLICE RECRUITMENT: PSC DISOWNS MULTIPLE SOCIAL MEDIA STATEMENTS ON SCHEDULE OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES, FROWNS AT USE OF NAME OF ITS SPOKESMAN BY IMPOSTORS

The Police Service Commission wishes to disown multiple social media reports on the 2022 Recruitment exercise, especially on the imaginary scheduled date for training for shortlisted candidates.

The Commission also condemns the use of the name of its Spokesman, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, on fictitious and phantom Press Statements calculated to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians on the status of the recruitment exercise.

The Commission wishes to clarify that it has at no time issued any statement on (i) review of the list of successful candidates (ii) inviting successful candidates to check application on newly launched portal.

The Commission has not at any time advised candidates to print any updated invitation slip and proceed to the Police Training Colleges. It has also not announced any date for the training programme and the Monday, July 22nd 2024 date, bandied in the social media is just the imagination of the impostors.

The Commission wishes to advise candidates to be patient and await its official statement on the just concluded recruitment exercise.

It also warns these unrelenting impostors to stay clear of its activities especially the recruitment exercise and warns that any body caught undermining the exercise will be death with.

Tuesday, July 9th 2024.

RTD DIG HASHIMU ARGUNGU ASSUMES DUTY IN PSC, FLAGS OFF ARENA OF KNOWLEDGE LECTURES

The new leadership of the Police Service Commission has assumed duty at the Corporate Headquarters of the Commission in Jabi, Abuja with a commitment to drive a deliberate knowledge acquisition programme for the Staff called "The Arena of Knowledge".

The new Board of the Commission, recently appointed by the President, has DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd as Chairman, DIG Taiwo Lekanu rtd, Member and Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, Secretary. The new Chairman, Member and Secretary assumed duty on Thursday, July 4th, 2024.

Earlier today, Wednesday, July 10th 2024, the new Board flagged off an innovative programme, the Arena of Knowledge, a weekly lecture series for the Staff of the Commission.

Chairman of the Commission, rtd DIG Argungu in his introductory remarks at the training programme said since nobody has monopoly of Knowledge, there was need for the Commission to meet weekly to share knowledge on the different areas of the staff day to day work.

He noted that he has always introduced the "Arena of Knowledge " in all the places he has worked, adding that the nation's civil service needs knowledge for improved service delivery.

The Commission Chairman and the Director Legal Services of the Commission, Bar. Babatunde Dada presented papers at today's lecture.

In a paper, titled: "The Innocent Victim: Wrongful Garnishment Against Police Service Commission", the Commission Chairman examined a pending garnishee proceedings against the Commission in respect of an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria which training money was lodged. He also examined the grounds that the judgment creditors have executed Wrongful garnishments against the Commission other than the real judgment debtor.

DIG Argungu rtd traced possible objections which included that the garnishee does not reside within jurisdiction; that there was no proper service on the garnishee; that the order nisi is not predicated on a valid and subsisting judgment and that the certified copy of the judgment has not been attached to the application.

He also looked at other possible objections and noted that the Commission "is an innocent victim for Wrongful garnishment.

The PSC Chairman recommended that the Commission's legal department should urgently liaise with the Commissioner of Police Legal Services of the Nigeria Police Force to trace the civil suits in question with the view to ascertain the genuineness of the claims and also to urgently liaise with the necessary organisations to see the final conclusion against the order absolute.

DIG Argungu rtd also said the Secretary to the Commission, the Director Legal Services and the Director Finance and Accounts should put a mechanism in place to find out the remote and immediate causes of these problems .

In his presentation, the Director, Legal Services, Bar. Dada traced the persisting problem of garnishee proceedings against the Commission to the inability of the Commission to mobilize its lawyers to put up appearances for its cases which normally result to judgment passed against it. According to him "If cases are effectively attended to and appearances made, then no judgment will be against the Commission ".

He noted that in view of the fact that the Commission has not been able to resolve its funding problem, the Legal Department entered into Public-private partnership (PPP) with private legal firms who "are willing to handle the cases pro-bono (free)".

Bar. Dada said that for a permanent solution, there should be an inter Agency Cooperation where the Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation will need to meet and discuss this issue and work out the modalities to liquidate this debt which are orders from Court.

He also recommended the introduction of its disciplinary power on any Police Officer who is the subject of the litigation and who caused its account to be garnished by implementing of Public Service Rule 030414. He said the Alternative Dispute Resolution should also be adopted since various High Court Rules have made provisions for that.

The Director also suggested the need to liaise with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for the deployment of Corps Members who have been called to Bar to the Legal Department of the Commission .

The next in the series of the Arena of Knowlege lectures holds on Wednesday July 27th, 2024 and this will look into Leakages of classified documents/Information and the consequences. It will be followed a week later by another lecture on the serious issues of cyber crime since 2015.

Wednesday, July 10th, 2024

IMPLICATIONS OF LEAKING CLASSFIED GOVERNMENT INFORMATION TAKES CENTRE STAGE AS PSC HOLDS 2ND EDITION OF THE WEEKLY ARENA OF KNOWLEDGE LECTURE SERIES

The second edition of the weekly 'Arena of Knowledge ' lecture series of the Police Service Commission was held today, Wednesday, July 17th, 2024 with an x-ray of the implications of leaking classified information in Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

The Arena of Knowledge lecture series is the brainchild of the Chairman of the Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd, and will be held weekly on Wednesdays. It is intended to promote learning and improve Knowledge of Government rules, regulations and day to day operations by Staff of the Commission.

The Director, Human Resource management in the Commission, Aminu Malumfashi and Personal Assistant to the Chairman and former Commissioner of Police, Legal Services, CP Suleiman Balarabe Nayaya rtd, presented stimulating lectures on the topic.

Mr. Malumfashi in his paper, traced the Freedom of Information Act of 2011 which granted Public access to government records and information but warned that while this Act promotes transparency "it does not override the government's authority to protect classified information essential to national security" He noted that leaking classified information "is a separate matter governed by strict laws and regulations outside of the Act."

Mr. Malumfashi said unauthorised leakage of sensitive official documents constitutes a felony with no defence available under either the Nigerian Constitution or the Act.

He observed that leaking classified information "carries far-reaching implications that span legal, ethical, political, security and Public dimensions" adding that while some view leaks as whistle blowing that exposes wrongdoing and promotes accountability; others argue that they pose serious threats.

The Director explained that balancing transparency with the protection of sensitive information remains a complex challenge adding that "understanding this is crucial to achieve a harmonious balance in every organisation".

CP Nayaya rtd in his own paper titled "Emergence Of Special Substantive Laws in the 21st Century on Safeguarding of Classified Information and Documents: Implications and Consequences of leakage" traced the possible ways to prevent leakage/divulge of classified information and documents and some of the likely consequences that may affect the defaulters. He also looked into exceptions to the Rights of Acess to Information in International Human Rights Treaties and Conventions.

CP Nayaya rtd, identified proper recruitment of employees (vetting and background checks), adequate training and development systems, observation of process and procedures of principles of classification of classified information and documents and proper custody and care of classified information and documents amongst others.

He mentioned interdiction, suspension, dismissal or jail term as some of the likely consequences that may affect defaulters.

The retired CP legal Services noted that there are exceptions to the Right of Access to Information in the International Human Rights Treates and Conventions. These he said include respect of the rights or reputation of others; protection of national security of public order, public safety, public health and public morality. Others he noted, are preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the Judiciary; prevention, investigation and presentation of criminal activities; disciplinary investigation etc.

The Lecture Series continues next week Wednesday, July 24th 2024 with The serious issues of Cybercrime since 2015.

Wednesday, 17th July 2024