According to the Police Service Commission, the Supreme Court has ruled in its favor to take sole responsibility for recruiting constables for the Nigeria Police Force.
According to reports, the PSC and the NPF have been engaged in a legal battle over who should be responsible for the recruitment of police constables for over four years, following former President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval to recruit 10,000 constables each year for six years.
In a correspondence on Sunday, the PSC’s spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, claimed that on July 11, 2023, the supreme court of the land decided and put to rest the contentious issue and controversy between the commission and the police.
However, they were unable to obtain the Certified True Copy of the said judgment because Ani was unable to provide it when our correspondent requested it on Sunday.
“In the judgment, the Supreme Court ‘unequivocally pronounced’ the commission as an agency statutorily mandated to do so,” Ani said, quoting PSC Chairman Solomon Arase as saying the decision was in the interest of national security.
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The PSC spokesperson, on the other hand, explained that prior to the judgment, efforts were already underway and at an advanced stage toward an amicable resolution of the issue between the two critical institutions.
Ani went on to say that it was highly embarrassing for the government and other stakeholders that the duo, which should be working in harmony and mutuality, had engaged in such avoidable legal wrangling over an issue that sought understanding, respect, and compromise.
He also quoted the commission’s boss, Arase, as saying that the judgment “simply and legally cements the resolution of the issue in a win-win situation for the two institutions, which ordinarily cannot effectively function and deliver on their respective mandates without the cooperation of each other.”
“It must be said and seen, therefore, that the judgment is delivered in the overall best interests of our national security, and it underscores the critical need for harmonious working relationships and mutual trust among government agencies.”
“As a result, it is critical that all parties involved de-escalate and abandon all forms of hostility, misconceptions, preconceptions, and prejudices against one another that have previously characterized the Commission and the NPF’s no-love-lost relationship.”
“He noted that the unnecessary imbroglio impacted negatively on the staff of the Police Service Commission and officers and other ranks of the Nigeria Police Force,” Ani quoted Arase as saying.
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He also revealed that Arase announced the formation of a recruitment board, which would be chaired by the PSC chairman and comprised of other relevant stakeholders, and that the board would be inaugurated soon.
“The board will screen and ensure that only able and qualified members of the public are recruited into the NPF, reflecting also the principle of Federal Character,” the PSC spokesperson added.
