A grouped of under the auspices, Worried Nigerian Citizens have called on President Bola Tinubu call the Chairman, Police Service Commission, IGP Solomon Arase to order over what they described as unethical, divisive, unguided and unguarded utterances.
According to the group, the statement credited to Mr. Arase wherein he was quoted to have said that Southeast youths were “embracing anti-government criminal gangs.” is direct affront on the sensibility of the oppressed Nigerian youths at large.
The group in a statement issued by its convener, Mr. Moses Idika, on Monday and release to press said said Arase’s comment “is a subtle justification of the brutalization and harassment of the youth and people of the southeast by security forces, especially operatives of the Nigeria Police.”
Recall that Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, the Head of Press and Public Relations of the PSC on Sunday, 19th 2023 on behalf of Mr. Arase had in a statement submitted that the Southeast youths were “embracing anti-government criminal gangs,” this conclusion did not go dow n well with the WNC.
Contrary to Arase’s position, the WNC said the unfortunate security situation in the southeast is more traceable to the neglect and oppression of the agencies like the Nigeria Police in the region and should never be an excuse for Arase and his likes to negatively tag and profile young people in the Southeast.
Read full Statement Below
PRESS STATEMENT (NOVEMBER, 20, 2023)
CHAIRMAN POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION, IGP SOLOMON ARASE (RTD) SHOULD BE CALLED TO ORDER OVER HIS VIRULENT ATTACKS, NAME-CALLING AND NEGATIVE PROFILING OF SOUTHEAST YOUTHS
The attention of Worried of Nigeria Citizens (WNC) has been drawn to a statement credited to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), IGP Solomon Arase (Rtd), where he was quoted to have said that Southeast youths were “embracing anti-government criminal gangs.”
The statement issued by Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations of the PSC on Sunday, 19th 2023 on behalf of Mr. Arase is most unfortunate and we strongly condemn it as it is divisive, unethical, preposterous, unconscionable, and direct affront on the sensibility of the oppressed Nigerian youths at large.
The statement credited to Mr. Arase is a subtle justification of the brutalization and harassment of the youth and people of the southeast by security forces, especially operatives of the Nigeria Police.
Arase who has resorted to name calling and outright negative-profiling of Southeast youths in his effort to bludgeon and blackmail them into joining the Constable cadre of Nigeria Police Should be reminded that joining any government institution is by choice and not by force.
While stakeholders, leaders and the people of the Southeast continue to call on school leavers in the region to apply for the police job first as a way of mitigating the pervasive unemployment in the region and as a way of affirming their patrotism, it must also be noted that they have to be given the assurances of inclusion in the recruitment process.
It is not lost on Nigerians that youths of the Southeast have been schemed out in recruitment into various federal establishments, a situation that has largely left them with shaken confidence in the system.
Mr. Arase is working hard to compel young school leavers in the Southeast to apply to be recruited into the rank and file within the Police, whereas several officers from the Southeast who are well qualified for promotions and
appointments are ignored in the same force just like in other federal agencies and especially the armed forces.
It is important to remind Arase that his commission or any agency of the Federal Government has never been in the habit of forcing young Nigerians to apply for “juicy” federal jobs. We have not heard the likes of CBN, FIRS, NCC, NERC, DPR, NNPC, FAAN, NCAA, NASC, etc calling on young Nigerians to apply for jobs in their establishments.
We, therefore, call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call Mr. Arase to order to stop the negative profiling and tagging of Southeast youths.
Nigeria is currently divided along ethnic lines due to the behaviour, unguided and unguarded utterances of the likes of Mr. Arase who have arrogated to themselves the right to classify Nigerians and their behaviour along ethnic and regional lines even when such classifications are squarely rooted in crass prejudices and lies.
Southeast youths are noted for their strong work ethics, industry and quest to succeed in their jobs or businesses.
The unfortunate security situation in the southeast is more traceable to the neglect and oppression of the agencies like the Nigeria Police in the region and should never be an excuse for Arase and his likes to negatively tag and profile young people in the Southeast.
The Federal Government of Nigeria must as a matter of urgency device and create programmes and policies that will give Southeast and indeed all Nigerian youths the confidence, not just to join the police but believe in a future in Nigeria as citizens.
Moses Idika
Convener,
