PSC, Police Force agree to jointly conduct 2021 recruitment screening

Mr Ikechukwu Ani, the Head of Press and Public Relations of PSC, said this in a statement on Wednesday, in Abuja.

He said the resolution to participate in the recruitment process followed a tripartite meeting of the commission with the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force.

Ani said the meeting, attended by the commission’s staff union leadership, chaired by the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Commission, Chief William Alo had resolved to deploy personnel of the commission for the exercise across the country.

He said the commission also received a delegation of the Nigeria Police Force leadership, led by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Training, Mr Mohammed Dan Mallam.

He said the two parties resolved some, and other contending issues, that led to staff unrest in the Commission, adding that the parties resolved to work together to avoid such unnecessary and avoidable occurrences in the future.

He said that some personnel of the commission would be deployed to states to interface with the other stakeholders to ensure transparent, fair and credible screening exercise.

Ani said the commission would continue to ensure, and insist that Police recruitment at any level, must be merit-driven, driven by the observance of the Federal Character Commission guidelines.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that some personnel of the  commission, in protest on Friday, forcefully locked up government offices and chased away officers on legitimate duties. 

The issues raised by the protesters were primarily the alleged handover of the constitutional responsibility of the Commission to recruit Police Officers, to the Inspector General of Police. 

They had also expressed worry over the delay in the conclusion of the 2021 staff promotion and training.