The attention of the Police Service
Commission has been drawn to a publication in the Nigerian Tribune of Friday,
March 20^th, 2009 edition, on page 4, with the above caption.

Re: FG
Extends Okiri’s Tenure

The attention of the Police Service
Commission has been drawn to a publication in the Nigerian Tribune of Friday,
March 20^th, 2009 edition, on page 4, with the above caption.

2. In the publication, the Nigerian Tribune
alleged that the police Service Commission recommended a one year extension of
tenure for the incumbent Inspector-General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro, which
recommendation was said to have been approved by the presidency.

3. The story is pure fiction and has no iota
of truth. The extension of the tenure of the office of the Inspector-General of
Police is not within the mandate, scope and competence of the commission and
the commission did not make any recommendation to that effect to the
presidency.

4. The procedure for the appointment of the
Inspector-General of Police is in section 215, sub 1, para (a) of the 1999
Constitution, which states inter alia ‘An Inspector-General of Police who,
subject to section 216 (2) of this Constitution, shall be appointed by the
President on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council from among serving
members of the Nigeria Police Force.

5. It is explicit from the above
constitutional provisions that the commission has no powers to appoint, extend
or remove the Inspector-General of Police from office.

6. We state categorically that this
publication is false in its entirety and demand that a retraction be made with
the same prominence accorded the original report, within seven days of the
receipt of the letter, already sent to the newspaper.

7.
This is the minimum the commission will accept

Signed

Mrs E. B. P.
Emuren, OON

Permanent
Secretary/Secretary to the Commission