Provide evidence of corruption in recruitment exercise, PSC tells IG

The Police Service Commission has challenged the Nigeria Police Force to provide verifiable evidence to support the allegations regarding the recruitment of constables.

The police had, in a statement on Saturday by the force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, rejected the names of those recruited by the commission.

Adejobi added that the PSC portal was scrutinised, and it was discovered that “several 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.”

The Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission had several denied the allegations, demanding the removal of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

This claim was contrary to what the IGP.

Egbetokun noted that while the Supreme Court gave the PSC the power to recruit, it, however, did not order the exclusion of the force from the process.

Ani said, “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.

“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.”

Ani noted that while the police attributed their inability to perform to poor recruitment practices, he added that the previous recruitment carried out by the police was now hindering their ability to discharge their duties effectively.

He said, “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. “

Ani called on President Bola Tinubu to caution Egbetokun to respect the constitutional mandate of the commission.

He said, “The Commission wishes to appeal to Mr. President to protect it and rein in the Nigeria Police Force to respect the Constitutional Mandate of the Commission to recruit. The Nigeria Police Force is created to enforce the law and not to circumvent it in whatever guise.

“It is the considered opinion of the Commission that the successful candidates should be allowed to proceed on training without delay.”