Insecurity: Police honour Peace Corps Boss, Akoh for building world-class stations

In what appeared as a surprise and twist of event, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has bestowed an honour on the National Commandant, Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), Prof. Dickson Akoh, for his numerous humanitarian gestures to the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).

The PSC is the institution of government responsible for the recruitment of Officers, regulation of the Force, promotion and discipline as well as dismissing erring officers of the Nigerian Police Force.

The Peace Corps of Nigeria on the other hand has been having a running battle with the Nigerian Police for over two decades in its quest to seek legal establishment by the Federal Government, with the Corps wining all the court cases instituted against it and having over N50m judgement cost standing against the Force.

At the end-of-the-year celebration of the PSC in Abuja Wednesday, the PCN National Commandant, Akoh, was presented with the Humanitarian Award by the Commission’s Chairman, AIG Solomon Arase (Rtd.), who ascribed the gesture to the many laudable infrastructural and social interventions by the Peace Corps Boss.

Arase also spoke on his achievements as Chairman of the Commission since his resumption, which he said covers the Welfare of the staff, training, relocation from the temporary site to the Corporate Headquarters and above all, restoration of the relationship between the Police Force and the Police Service Commission.

“It would be recalled that my journey to the Commission began on the 29th of March, 2023, when I was sworn in by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as the Chairman of the Commission. I must confess, however, that I took over a Commission whose relationship with the Nigerian Police Force was characterised by mutual suspicion and distrust, preconceptions and misconceptions which snowballed into legal dislocations and sour relationship between the two critical institutions of government.

“The relationship between the Nigerian Police Force and the Commission is now cordial, with both institutions respecting the constitutional mandates and powers of each other. This was achieved through trust building mechanism and through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation, gears towards enhancing the overall interest of our national security”, IGP Arase said.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, in his message, recognised the cordial working relationship with the present Police Service Commission Chairman, saying, it has helped both the Police and the Service Commission to have a seamless working cordial relationship.

Represented by AIG Yomi Oladimeji, the Police Boss said he was “very grateful to the PSC Chairman for the matured ways he has been handling the affairs of the Commission since his inception as the Chairman”.

Oladimeji said, the IGP equally emphasized the fact that, “as long as you (Arase) remain with the IGP, he would continue to work harmoniously with the Service Commission to ensure that we have a smooth sailing relationship. To also assure you that he is ready at all times to partner with the PSC”.

While responding, the National Commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria, Prof. Akoh, described the award as “very historical and a befitting end-of-the-year parting gift”, not just only for him, but for the entire Peace Corps family.

Akoh said, “this award is coming from an institution that superintendents over the affairs of Nigerian Police Force and before now, you know the state of things (relationship) between the Police and Peace Corps in Nigeria. And for the Police Service Commission to have selected or deemed it necessary to recognise me, is a recognition I will never take for granted.

“No matter the state of affairs between the Police and my humble self or my organisation in the time past, it has never discouraged me from assisting the Police whenever necessary.

“In Otukpo LGA of Benue State, I furnished the office of the DPO as far back as 2009. In the same vein, like you have seen, I built a police division that is unequalled in the entire northern states, with the state-of-the-art facilities, furnishing, satellites, CCTV, with a major operational van.

“In the same vein, I also built another police station in Ogobia with various interventions in other places. Even in Gwarimpa Division, during the festive period, I extend my gestures to them. There was a time I went to the station, there were no communication gadgets, and I ordered communication gadgets for them. The same thing with the police outpost in Godab Estate, Life Camp, Abuja”.

The Nigerian Peace Corps Bill was recently passed for the third time by the House of Representatives, awaiting the concurrence of the Nigerian Senate, for onward transmission to the President for his assent.