In a statement released by the group, the Civil Society Network Against Corruption, a coalition of anti-corruption groups who questioned Mr. Okiro’s integrity.
N133 Million Scam: Anti-corruption Group Wants Okiro Out
The ICPC had revealed that after an investigation they conducted, they found Mr. Okiro in violation of corruption laws in the country.
The investigation comes after a staff of the PSC, Solomon Kaase, petitioned the ICPC last May over some moves made by Okiro to steal N275 million from the PSC.
Kaase said that the police boss told them that the money would be used to train 900 PSC workers, whereas the Commission had only 391 staff.
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In its report, the ICPC confirmed Mr. Kaase’s claims, and said that Okiro had actually received the N350 million to train 900 PSC staff.
The report had said that the; “PSC paid daily travelling allowances to all members of staff including those based in Abuja that participated in the training programme held within Abuja”.
“Air tickets were paid to management staff and others who monitored elections within Abuja and its environs; even as locations where airports do not exist such as Lokoja and Minna.
“PSC chairman collected money for two conferences that ran simultaneously in Dublin and Orlando, Florida, expending ticket fare for the Dublin trip only. However, he had written to the Presidency to expend the ticket fare for Abuja-Orlando-Abuja on another trip coming up in October, 2015.”
Mr Okiro was ordered to remit N133 million of the N350 million he received for staff training and physical monitoring of police personnel during the last general election, to the ICPC recovery account at First City Monument Bank.
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Okiro however won’t be facing any criminal charges due to all the outlined issues being administrative in nature and within the ambits of career public servants handling.
CSNAC said that it disagreed with the ICPC’s recommendations and wants the N133 million to be remitted to the Federation Account, and not a recovery account in FCMB, since the federal government had directed all agencies to maintain a single account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“All those who fraudulently collected money for flight tickets and airport taxi fares in places without airports should be sanctioned appropriately; beyond mere return of collected monies,” CSNAC said in the statement signed by Olanrewaju Suraju, its Chairman.
“Furthermore, the Chairman of the Commission, by inflating the staff strength and; collecting travel allowances for separate programs running concurrently has compromised his integrity, displayed financial imprudence and thereby unfit for continued occupation of an office established to prevent the act just committed by Mr. Okiro.
“The request to expend in October is not plausible and cannot be an atonement for the crime already committed.”
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Mr. Suraju demanded the ICPC to check the directives in its report.
“The money to be remitted should be paid into the appropriate federal government account and Mr. Okiro and culpable staff members should be awarded punishments appropriate in the laws,” Mr. Suraju said.
“Ultimately, Mr. Okiro should be made to resign as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission with immediate effect.”
Mike Okiro of Oguta Imo State, is the first Igbo man to assume the post of police head, he helped in the recovery of funds from Tafa Balogun’s reign.
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