PSC, Police, Reach Truce on Recruitment of 10,000 Constables

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Nigeria Police yesterday agreed to work together to ensure the success of the 2021 recruitment of 10,000 police constables “in the national interest.”

The two agencies were involved in litigations over whose role it is to recruit constables.

The Police won at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja while the PSC secured a favourable judgement of the Court of Appeal affirming the constitutional role of the commission to conduct recruitment of constables.

Staff of the commission, had, last week embarked on a three-day warning strike, accusing the management of conniving with the police management to frustrate the implementation of the appeal court judgement.

A statement issued by the commission, however, said the commission would participate in the recruitment exercise.

“The PSC will participate in the on- going 2021 screening of applicants for employment into the constable cadre of the Nigeria Police Force.

“The commission, after a tripartite meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force and the Commission’s staff union leadership, chaired by Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Commission, Chief William Alo, decided to deploy its staff to the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory for the exercise”, it said.

The statement signed by the commission’s Spokesman, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, said: “The commission’s offices shut down in the wake of the three- day sit-at-home order by its two unions were opened on Tuesday, February 1 at the expiration of the order.

“The commission had the same day received in audience a delegation of the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force led by the DIG in charge of training, Mr. Mohammed Danmallam, while the PSC team was led by the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Commission, Chief William Alo, where the two parties resolved some and other contending issues that led to staff unrest in the commission”.

It said the “parties resolved to work together and avoid such unnecessary and avoidable occurrances in the future.

“The commission’s staff are expected to proceed to states of deployment and are expected to partner with the other stakeholders to ensure that the exercise is transparent, fair and credible.

“The commission says it will continue to ensure and insist that police recruitment at any level must be merit-driven with observance of the guidelines of the Federal Character Commission(FCC).”

Chairman of the workers’ union of the PSC, Mr. Adoyi Adoyi, confirmed the development.

A total of 10,000 applicants are expected to be recruited from the exercise.