PSC Disowns Press Statement On Final Shortlist Of Candidates On Police Constable Recruitment

 “Recruitment Board yet to make recommendations, insists Supreme Court judgement subsists on  PSC’s right to recruit”

The Police Service Commission has disowned the trending Press Statement in the social media on the release of the final shortlist of successful applicants for recruitment into the Constable cadre of the Nigeria Police Force.

The Commission also disowned what it, in a statement signed by Ikechukwu Ani, Head Press and Public Relations on Tuesday, “a purported list in circulation in some unofficial quarters meant to represent the names of successful applicants from the just concluded recruitment exercise.”

Part of the statement reads:

“The Commission is aware that the Force Public Relations Officer who was quoted to have signed the Press Statement on the release of the final list of successful applicants has since disowned the Statement.

“The Commission, however, wishes to direct that the Police Force should investigate the source of “that fake news” and bring the perpetrators to book.

“The Commission wishes to inform the general public that the Commission  in pursuit of its Constitutional powers, judgment  of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Suit No: SC/CV/773/2020 between  the Nigeria Police Force & ors v. Police Service Commission and anor and the Joint Recruitment Board is the sole authority  on the Recruitment  of Officers  into the Nigeria Police Force.

“The Commission wishes to state categorically that it has no intention to abdicate its constitutional mandate to recruit but will continue to accommodate  relevant stakeholders in the performance of this sacred Constitutional mandate.

“Therefore, any attempt, actions or inactions by any body or bodies, person or persons, office or offices  to release any list of successful candidates into the Nigeria Police Force is contemptuous of the Constitutional and Judicial  pronouncements and such shall be so treated.

“Thus, the list of successful candidates for the 2022 Recruitment exercise  will soon be released by the Commission.

“It is instructive to state that the Commission in an attempt to ensure credibility and inclusiveness in the conduct of the recruitment exercise set up a Police Recruitment Board made up of representatives of relevant stakeholders in the Police Sector. These include, the Police Service Commission, the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Police Affairs, Federal Character Commission, Police Colleges and Police Trust Fund.

“The Commission had in good conscience and to avoid the pitfalls of previous exercises that ran into troubled waters and pitched the Commission against the Nigeria Police Force, created the Recruitment Board, a multi sector Stakeholders  body to serve as a unifying body for a crisis free recruitment exercise.

“It also wishes to state that it has the final approval on the list of successful applicants for this current recruitment exercise and will in the coming days take a final decision on the expected recommendation of the Recruitment Board and release the authentic list of successful candidates.  It will also in consultation with the Nigeria Police, announce a date for the training of the successful candidates.

“The recruitment processes is to ensure probity, accountability and fair representation with a view to ensuring efficiency in the Nigeria Police Force.”