Senate rejects Jonathan's nominee as PSC member

THE Senate has rejected the re-nomination of Dr Otive Igbuzor (Delta State) to represent South-South on the board of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

However,  the appointment of former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Mike Okiro, as the chairman of the commission received the approval of the upper legislative chamber.

Igbuzor was rejected three times by the majority of the senators present at the plenary in a voice vote called by the Senate President, David Mark.

Efforts by Senator Babafemi Ojodu to make the Senate reverse itself failed, as 'Point-of-Order' raised was considered as coming too late.

While no reason was given for the rejection of Igbuzor, who was a former commissioner in the commission, it was gathered that his rejection may not be unconnected to his stance against government institutions and policies, including the National Assembly.

A human and civil rights activist, Igbuzor was once the secretary of Citizens' Forum for Constitutional Reform (CFCR), a coalition of over 100 civil society organisations.

Senator Mark, however, said President Goodluck Jonathan could re-present Igbuzor for nomination if he was considered important by the Federal Government to be on the board of the PSC.

Confirming the nomination of Okiro as the chairman of the commission, Senator Mark asserted that the police was one of the numerous problems facing the country, adding that encounters with them had not been good.

'We want a police of our dream; police that truly can do police job; the police that can sort out crime and defend us and a police that is properly equipped to do their policing work very well.

'I believe that, to those of you who have encountered the police, it has not been a good encounter and I hope that Okiro and his team will bring visible and noticeable improvement to the Police,' he said.

Other nominees confirmed by the Senate included Mr Yakubu Mohammed (retired DIG), Justice Olufunke Adekeye (retired Justice of the Supreme Court), Aisha Lara Tukur, Mrs Comfort Obi and Chief Torngee Gem Toranyiin.