Police Community Relations Community Saga: Deputy Nat’l Chairman Tackles Asst. PRO For Indicting South East Officials
Amidst ongoing controversy rocking the Police Community Relations Community (PCRC), the Deputy National Chairman of the association, Professor Nick Ezeh, has taken a swipe at a press statement accusing South-East officials of being behind the allegations levelled against the National Chairman, Alhaji Mogaji Ibrahim Olaniyan.
The Nigerian Voice had earlier reported that some PCRC top executives were accused of misappropriation of funds belonging to the committee, as well as manipulation of the association’s constitution and flagrant abuse of office.
It was learnt that a total sum of about sixty million, three hundred and twenty five thousand naira (N60,325,000.00) and three hundred dollars ($300) being funds realized from registration of members and issuance of identity cards, among other events were funds allegedly misappropriated by the PCRC Chairman and his accomplices.
The allegations were contained in a petition addressed to Inspector-General of Police against Alhaji Mogaji Ibrahim Olaniyan, PCRC Chairman, Amb. Mary Samuel, PCRC Deputy National Secretary, and Hon. Maina Digma Gana, PCRC National Treasurer, by Omeiza Ibrahim & Co on behalf of Princess Dahiru Nana Ngozi, the National Welfare Secretary for PCRC.
However, in a statement issued on Saturday, August 18, Muhammed Sale, PCRC
Asst. National Publicity Secretary, discarded the allegations, describing them as fictitious and frivolous.
He further described the petitioner as elements of stagnation, retrogression and bitterness who was bent on becoming the Coordinator of the PCRC National Women Committee at her old age.
“After several attempts to stop the unprecedented progress being recorded in the PCRC under the current NWC led by the National Chairman, Alhaji Mogaji Ibrahim Olaniyan for selfish and other demonic motives, this disgruntled element who has apologized severally for her unbecoming conducts at different occasions both within and outside the PCRC with verifiable records can only be described as a sworn enemy of progress who will stop at nothing but to continue dragging her bitter self and not the PCRC in the mud. It is on record that she has on several occasions tried to divide the NWC but failed woefully for reasons which we now suspect has an ethnic and political undertones.
“In the history of PCRC, there has never been a time like now when the committee's work of bridging the wild gap between the Police and the community has been so effectively and massively carried out across all the states of the federation, most especially in the South-East where this disgruntled element unfortunately comes from. No doubt, the people of the zone are very good people as evident in the action of all members of the National Executive Council (NEC) from the South-East Geopolitical Zone who at the heat of the trouble maker's bullets, joined other State Chairmen, National Women and National Youth Committee leadership to pass a vote of confidence on the National Working Committee (NWC) leadership led by the National Chairman, Alhaji Mogaji Ibrahim Olaniyan,” the statement read.
However, Professor Nick Ezeh in a statement issued on Sunday following the press statement, called on the Asst. National Publicity Secretary to correct the erroneous impression that the petitioner was from South East PCRC.
He asserted that the said petition was written by the national welfare officer an exco- member from the North Central.
He said, “The petitioner is not from South East PCRC. The petition was not written by any member of PCRC from South East nor was sponsored by any member of PCRC from South East.
“Part of the posted petition as shown online was a petition that was written to the IGP and copied to the NWC, by the national welfare officer an exco- member from the NORTH CENRAL and not South East.
“The said petition was received by the NWC OFFICIALLY, A COMMITTEE was set up to investigate it and report back, the NWC approved and expended sum of N2.6 million, I personally loaned the Committee sum N1.2 million to carry on with its assignment but was letter reimburse.
“To Insinuate that some people from South East or some members from the SE are sponsoring the actions of the former aid to the NC is nothing but false hood.
“It is on record that the NC and his former PA are having issues, it is also on record that the petition written against the the NC and two other officers was by a known member who adopted her petitions publicly, the 9 man Committee’s findings and recommendations has been submitted to the NWC as we know.
I want the Asst. National Publicity Secretary to correct this wrong impressions, remove all the name callings as the SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA IS BIGGER THAN ANY INDIVIDUAL AND SHOULD BE RESPECTED AS SUCH.
“As members of PCRC, We have records of individual contributions to the PCRC as NWC members too.”