The grief is still raw. A week after the sudden passing of Dr. Solomon Arase, former Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), the reality has refused to sink in for many who worked closely with him. For Ikechukwu Ani, Head of Press and Public Relations at the Commission, the loss is not just institutional but deeply personal.
“It still feels like a dream. I keep wishing it was one,” Ani said in a moving tribute. “When the news broke last Sunday, there was panic everywhere. Many refused to believe, others prayed for divine intervention. I am still struggling to accept you are gone.”
Arase, who took over the PSC at a turbulent time, is remembered as a reformer who restored dignity and gave the commission a new lease of life within just a year. Ani recalled: “You met the Commission on its knees, with no direction. You came and gave it your all. In one year, you breathed life into it, restored its dignity, and gave it hope. Your stay was brief, but your impact was indelible.”
For Ani, the loss cuts deeper because Arase gave him a chance when others doubted his loyalty. He recounted how during a retreat in Benin in 2023, the late PSC Chairman sent him a birthday message that left him in tears: “IK, thanks for keeping the flame aglow for the Commission. I was right, they were wrong about you.”
“That message was everything,” Ani said. “You knew I was under pressure. You stood by me and declared you would have regretted letting me go. No gift can ever be more meaningful than that. You gave me freedom to do my job without undue interference, and I gave you my best.”
Beyond the office walls, Ani described Arase as a boss who paid attention to details, celebrated good work, and showed rare humility. “You never failed to call me personally to commend my press releases. Sometimes, you followed it up with financial support. When I mentioned that my wife contributed to a draft, you asked to speak with her and thanked her directly. That was the kind of man you were – humane, down to earth, unassuming, yet firm when duty called.”
For Ani, the death of Arase is the death of a father figure. “I have lost a godfather who always valued me as a human first, before as a staff. You were cerebral, organised, and a pathfinder. You fought many battles for the Commission and volunteered to pay the price for our salvation. Death was unkind to snatch you this early, but you left footprints that time cannot erase.”
He ended his tribute with heavy emotion: “Good night boss. May God decorate your soul with heavenly blessings. You will forever remain in my heart.”
Good Night Boss: Ani Mourns Arase
