LEGAL AID COUNCIL AND ROLAC PAYS VISIT TO CHAIRMAN POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION.

LEGAL AID COUNCIL AND ROLAC PAYS VISIT TO CHAIRMAN POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION.

The Director-General, Legal Aid Council, Mr. Aliyu Bagudu Abubakar paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr. Solomon Arase, CFR, at his office in the new corporate headquarters of the Police Service Commission located in Jabi, Abuja.

Present at the meeting with the Chairman was the Permanent Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Ifeoma A. Anyanwutaku and heads of various Departments of the Commission.

Among the visiting delegation were Oluwatopsi Giwa, Technical Head, and Chukwurati Gozie, Programme Officer, of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC).

Director General Legal Aid Council, Mr. Aliyu Abubakar, congratulated the former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr Solomon Arase on his appointment as Chairman of the Police Service Commission and commended him on the greater visibility achieved by the Commission since his resumption as Chairman of the Commission.

The Director General gave a brief overview the Legal Aid Council and also that of the Police Duty Solicitor Scheme (PDSS) and said that since the Dr. Arase was a part of the conception of the pilot scheme in 2006, the visit was to update him on some of the activities and achievements so far. He said that the visit was a step towards seeing the Inspector-General of Police.

The Chairman, Dr Solomon Arase CFR, thanked the Director-General and his team for the visit. He said that indeed he was part of the conceptualization of the PDSS and the scheme was based on the need to change the public perception of the Police hence the decision to partner with organizations towards this. He mentioned that as IGP his passion was minimizing human rights abuses by the NPF and even in retirement he still involved himself in advocating this. He mentioned some of the problems plaguing the NPF such as delay in investigation which leads to applying wrong investigating tactics resulting in human rights abuses and there is a need for the operational modalities to be changed.

Dr. Solomon Arase assured the DG LAC that he would write to the IGP on this matter and that the Commission would do everything in its power to support the Council on the Scheme. He appreciated ROLAC for the role they play in Police Reforms in Nigeria and described security reform as a marathon that needs continuity.

The Director General was accompanied by members of Management of the Council.