BY EMMA NNADOZIE

A non-governmental organisation, People United For Societal Harmony, PUSH, yesterday in Lagos, described the recent allegation of financial impropriety against the Chairman of Police Service Commission, Sir Mike Okiro, as not only ill-motivated but aimed at smearing his sterling and unrivalled records.

The group also decried allegations of threats to the life of the petitioner stating that it was a clear case of ‘guilty conscience of a drowning man wanting to pull as many reeds as possible.’

In a statement jointly signed by the Director-General and Coordinating Secretary, Dr. Sylvanus Ujumandu and Mrs. Sade Jaiyesimi respectively, the organisation noted that Okiro served in the Nigeria Police Force and got to the peak as the Inspector-General after which he retired honourably without a dent on his records.

“We are, however, pained and piqued that apart from the incontestable fact that the said petition of alleged financial fraud against Okiro emanating from a non-account staff of the commission, Aaron Kaase, was not only lacking in truth but spurious, ill-motivated and purely aimed at smearing his sterling and unrivalled records.

“The petitioner was arrested and arraigned for allegedly collecting various amount of money from unsuspecting persons under the guise of helping them to procure Visa to some European countries. In such circumstance, the normal thing for any organisation whose staff was fingered in such corrupt and sharp practices is to suspend the suspect and allow free and unhindered investigation and that was done in the case under review.

For the suspect to turn around to concoct an unfounded and mindless petition against the person of Okiro in order to get at him is a clear case of misguided revenge.