By Our Reporter
The Police Service Commission, PSC, has demanded that a verifiable evidence be provided by the Nigeria Police Force to support allegations about the recruitment of constables.
In a statement on Saturday by the force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, the NPF turned down the names of those recruited by the Commission.
The police spokesperson argued that the PSC portal was scrutinised, and it was revealed that, “names of persons purported to be names of successful candidates are those who did not even apply and therefore did not take part in the recruitment exercise.”
In a swift reaction, the Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission had denied the allegations and calling for the removal of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun.
In his response on Thursday, the IGP had said there were no issues between him and the PSC, just as he was out to see that only those qualified were recruited into the Nigeria Police.
Also, the PSC in a statement on Friday by its Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, stated that the claims by the police were to tarnish the image of the Commission.
“The Commission has studied the issues around this successfully concluded recruitment exercise and has come to the conclusion that even after the Supreme Court Judgment, the Police is reluctant to allow the Commission perform this constitutional assignment. The Commission demands that the Police should provide verifiable evidence to prove the allegations peddled against it as it is obvious that it is a case of giving a dog a bad name to hang it,” said the PSC statement.
The PSC head of press emphasized the observance of due process in the recruitment exercise, urging that a forensic audit should be carried out on the
Ani explained saying, “It is important to state that due process was meticulously followed throughout the exercise, and the Commission wishes to assert its prerogative to exercise full control over recruitments into the Nigeria Police Force.
“The Commission is also insisting that its list of successful candidates and that of the Police should be subjected to a forensic audit using the result of the JAMB computer-based test.”
He referenced the Supreme Court Judgment of July 11, 2023, which gave the power to recruit to the commission, saying there was no such role given to the police.
The IGP countered the claim, noting that while the Supreme Court gave the PSC the power to recruit into the NPF, same court did not order remove the involvement of the force from the process.
But in the counterargument, the PSC head of press insisted that, “In this judgment, there was no role assigned to any person or persons outside the Commission in the conduct of recruitment, and as such, any claim to that effect is serious contempt of Court.
According to Ani, “The Commission, however, had, in its wisdom, invited relevant stakeholders into a Board for the recruitment exercise to ensure inclusiveness and transparency. This magnanimity has since been misconstrued.
“It is relevant to state that the judgment and even the Constitution did not give the Police any role in the recruitment of any cadre of Officers into the Police Force.”
He added by saying that, “It is unfortunate that the Police has attributed its obvious failure to protect lives and properties and safeguard our nation from banditry and terrorism to bad recruitment. This claim is self-indicting and provocative.
“Since 2019 when the Police forcefully snatched the exercise from the Commission, they have gone ahead against the provisions of the law to Superintendent over the 2020 and 2021 exercises. It is the fraudulent Recruits they brought into the system during these exercises that are currently haunting the Nigeria Police Force.
“The Commission is aware that this current brazen show of power by the Police with attendant spurious allegations is to perpetuate their stranglehold on the recruitment of Constables, even against the judgment of the Supreme Court. “
He therefore appealed to President Bola Tinubu to caution the IGP to have regard for the constitutional mandate of the Commission, adding that, “The Nigeria Police Force is created to enforce the law and not to circumvent it in whatever guise.
He stated that based on the argument that due process was followed by the Commission in the recruitment exercise, successful candidates should be allowed to go ahead with their training immediately.
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