THE Police Service Commission (PSC) has decried the proliferation of policemen serving as domestic servants to some persons, saying officers on illegal escort duties would henceforth be arrested and disciplined accordingly as the modalities for releasing personnel to personalities have been worked out and are awaiting assent.

The Chairman of the Commission, Mike Okiro, made this known yesterday in Abuja during a press briefing to clear the air on the alleged lopsidedness in the recently-released promotion of police officers. He said policemen assigned to serve as escorts to people (usually called VIPs) have instead resorted to doing ridiculous jobs like carrying handbags for women.

“To stem the tide, we have worked out a blueprint of the class of VIPs that should enjoy the privilege of attaching police officers to provide VIP protection with their specific duties clearly spelt out.

“The matter is awaiting the consent of the relevant authorities before we can start its implementation. Once the operation is fully planned out, the Provost Marshal of the Police and members of staff of the PSC will operate jointly and be stationed at domestic airports and some highways to arrest and discipline officers who embark on illegal escorts or guards”, he said.

Okiro said the recent media reports concerning the promotion and posting of Senior Police Officers (SPOs) was hyped as “there is nothing farther from the truth therein” because the exercise was meticulously carried out with the consciousness not to undermine the great efforts put in place to enthrone discipline and efficiency in the police.