The Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Nigeria Police Force have agreed to set up Joint Committees to resolve operational differences of the two agencies.
This is contained in a statement signed by Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, the Head of Press and Public Relations of PSC in Abuja.
He said the agreement was reached when the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun visited the Chairman of PSC, Dr. Solomon Arase.
The two agencies, Ani said, agreed to set up a Recruitment Board that would include all the strategic stakeholders in future police recruitment exercises.
He said the leaders of the two agencies, pledged that the welfare of Police Officers would be paramount henceforth.
According to him, the two leaders have also, decided to jointly work together to ensure that issues of discipline are handled expeditiously.
He said the decision was to ensure that those found wanting were adequately punished while those found innocent were freed to continue their career progression.
“They also agreed to ensure that Police Promotions are prompt and based on merit, seniority and availability of vacancy,” he said.
Ani said the PSC boss had pledged to continue to collaborate with the acting I-G) to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of the Nigeria Police.
In 2022, a fresh cold war existed between the NPF and the PSC over the recruitment of police constables.
Following an announcement by the PSC calling for applications by suitable persons into the force to serve as constables, the NPF issued a statement signed by the then Force PRO, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, informing “well-meaning members of the public” that it had not commenced the 2022 constables’ recruitment exercise.
Adejobi said: “The Nigeria Police Force wishes to inform well-meaning members of the public that it has not commenced the 2022 Police Constables recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force contrary to a publication on Page 21 of Daily Sun newspaper of Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022 by the PSC.
The police similarly state unequivocally that the advert has no connection with the Nigeria Police Force nor is it in tandem with the police recruitment process, and should be disregarded in all its entirety.
The website to which the publication refers intending candidates – http://www.recruitment.psc.gov.ng – is not associated with the Nigeria Police Force.
The NPF, therefore, called on all stakeholders and intending applicants to discountenance the information in both the newspaper and on the portal as the website is not the official portal for police constables’ recruitment.
It assured “well-meaning Nigerians” that the commencement of the 2022 recruitment exercise would be announced via the official police e-recruitment website, namely: https://policerecruitment.gov.ng, the Nigeria Police Force official website, https://www.npf.gov.ng, and advertisements in national dailies and official police social media accounts.
Following the NPF’s reaction, Ani, told newsmen that the commission had taken note of the NPF’s publication with regard to the 2022 constable recruitment exercise.
He expressed the commission’s belief that all contending issues between the two parties would be resolved in the interest of the nation.
He advised all interested applicants and other Nigerians desirous of a career in the NPF to exercise patience while these issues were being resolved, stating that the commission would continue to strive to give Nigerians a Police Force they would be proud of.
