Recruitment: PSC Disowns Police List, Says It’s Fake

By Uche Mbah

The Police Service Commission has disowned the Police recruitment list being bandied about by the Nigerian Police force, urging members of the public to disregard the list. The Commission says the list is fake.

The police had released a list of about a thousand candidates who were, according to them, billed for training into the constable cadre of the force.

But the Commission, through its Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, distanced itself from the said list, calling it an “act of illegality” and a “serious breach to the Federal Character requirements.”

Excerpts from the statement released by the PSC and signed by Ani reads;

“The Police Service Commission dissociates itself from a purported list of candidates scheduled for training and, allegedly, released by the Nigeria Police Force in respect of the recruitment exercise into the Constable cadre of the Force.

“The Commission notes that the list released by the Police is an act of illegality and from close observation was in serious breach of the Federal Character requirements.

“The Commission urges the public to be weary of the list as it will soon resume the remaining stages of the recruitment process and release the authentic list of successful candidates, local government by local government.

“The Commission is presently in Court against the Nigeria Police Force over the hijack of its constitutional powers to recruit, and had filed originating summons and interlocutory injunction restraining the NPF from going ahead with the exercise.  The processes filed since the 27th of September 2019, by Kanu G. Agabi, CON, SAN, were brought to the knowledge of the Inspector General of Police the same day.

“In the letter notifying the IGP of the pendency of the suit, No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1124/2019; Kanu Agabi, SAN, had stated ‘we write to inform you of the pendency of the above mentioned suit before the Federal High Court Abuja. By this notice you are to stay further action in the subject matter of this suit pending the hearing and determination of the case’.

“It is unfortunate that despite the pendency of the Court processes, the Nigeria Police Force went ahead to release a purported list of candidates it has invited for training.

“The Commission wishes to state that the list is unknown to it as it believes it is a product of illegality. The hearing for the Commission’s suit has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 23rd at the Federal High Court 5, Abuja”.

The PSC and the NPF have been in conflict over whose right it is to recruit the 10,000 Constables approved by President Muhammadu Buhari. The recruitment was suspended abruptly. But the NPF has since continued with the exercise without reference to the PSC.

The Constitution gave the PSC the powers to recruit, promote and discipline any Police officer, except the Inspector General of Police.