Police recruitment: ‘Face-off between NPF, PSC worrisome – Nwanguma

Henry Okonkwo

The conflict between the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the Police Service Commission (PSC) over who has the power to recruit officers for the force, has been described as an unwholesome situation inimical to Nigeria’s police unit.

The national coordinator of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Center (RULAAC), Mr. Okey Nwanguma, said this during a security stakeholders and media engagement, which held recently in Lagos state.

The tension between the NPF and PSC, started when the IGP (Inspector-General of Police), Mohammed Adamu, moved to recruit 10, 000 police officers for the Force. But PSC chaired by Musiliu Smith, stopped the move, insisting that the IGP has no such powers to recruit police constables for the Force. The PSC went further to secure a court order to stop the IGP. However, the IGP still went on with the recruitment drive- a move that has seemingly strained relationship between the two agencies.

Nwanguma who weighed into the lingering face-off during a chat with Sunday Sun decried the situation and faulted NPF’s disobedience of court order that status quo should be maintained.

He said: “ The law is very clear on who should recruit for the NPF. The PSC was established to promote, recruit and discipline police officers. This whole standoff between the NPF and the PSC is uncalled for. I think the reason is that overtime the PSC delegated the powers to the police to recruit police rank and file. So NPF now wants to appropriate the power to recruit for themselves. But basically, the law gives the power of recruitment to the PSC. And I’m worried that despite an order of court instructing the police and PSC to maintain the status quo, the NPF still went ahead to recruit officers. This is not good”.