PSC Speaks On Recruiting
Deaf, Dumb Persons As Police Constables
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has revealed that during the recently concluded recruitment exercise of 10,000 constables, the physical and medical screenings of shortlisted candidates were handled by police personnel.
The PSC noted in a statement that the screening personnel should be held responsible if “deaf and dumb persons” and those with suicidal tendencies are recruited into the Force.
The Commission demanded that the police should provide verifiable evidence to prove the allegations peddled against it.
While tackling the Nigerian Police Force, it warned against illegal peddling of rumors and abuse of court processes.
According to the statement by its spokesperson z Ikechukwu Ani, “The allegation is akin to a case of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.”
The service commission noted that it was concerned by the abuse of ethics and legal standards in the accusations made against it.
It reads, “The Police Service Commission has watched with keen interest developments since it concluded and released the list of successful candidates for recruitment as Constables into the Nigeria Police Force.
“The Commission is disturbed at the flagrant abuse of ethics, the Constitution and valid judgment of the apex court of the land.
“The Commission wishes to state as follows; “a. That the release of the confidential letter sent to the Chairman of the Commission by the Inspector General of Police on alleged lapses in the recruitment exercise to the Media was a gross violation of the Public Service Rules with grave Consequences.
“b. That since 2019, when a former Inspector General of Police hijacked the soft copy of an ongoing recruitment exercise and forcefully completed the exercise without the input of the Commission – the statutory body solely charged with such responsibility, the Commission has not been allowed to perform this constitutional duty.
“c. The Commission has at every turn suffered several indignities in its attempt to perform functions provided to it by the Constitution even after the Supreme Court decided the matter in its favour.
“d. That this show of brute force and intimidation by the Police and most recently inducements of hired writers to run down the Commission in the Media is a serious affront on the mandate of the Commission.
“The Commission has studied the issues around this successfully concluded recruitment exercise and has come to the conclusion that even after the Supreme Court Judgment, the Police is reluctant to allow the Commission perform this constitutional assignment.
“The Commission demands that the Police should provide verifiable evidence to prove the allegations peddled against it as it is obvious that it is a case of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
“It is important to state that due process was meticulously followed throughout the exercise and the Commission wishes to assert its prerogative to exercise full control over recruitments into the Nigeria Police Force.
“The Commission is also insisting that its list of successful candidates and that of the Police should be subjected to a forensic audit using the result of the JAMB computer based test.
“The Commission however had, in its wisdom, invited relevant stakeholders into a Board for the recruitment exercise to ensure inclusiveness and transparency.
“This magnanimity has since been misconstrued. It is relevant to state that the judgment and even the Constitution did not give the Police any role in the recruitment of any cadre of Officers into the Police Force.
“It is unfortunate that the Police has attributed its obvious failure to protect lives and properties, and safeguard our nation from banditry and terrorism to bad recruitment. This claim is self indicting and provocative.
“Since 2019 when the Police forcefully snatched the exercise from the Commission, they have gone ahead against the provisions of the law to Superintendent over the 2020 and 2021 exercises. It is the fraudulent Recruits they brought into the system during these exercises that are currently haunting the Nigeria Police Force.
“The Commission is aware that this current brazen show of power by the Police with attendant spurious allegations is to perpetuate their stranglehold on the recruitment of Constables, even against the judgment of the Supreme Court.
“The assertion of recruiting persons who will commit suicide and who are deaf and dumb is uncharitable and preposterous. During recruitment exercises, the physical and medical screenings are handled by Police personnel, so if deaf and dumb persons and those with suicidal tendencies are recruited into the Force, then the Police personnel who screened and recommended them should be held responsible.
“The Commission is aware that all these distractions are calculated attempts by the Police to hold on, by all means, to the recruitment of Police Constables despite the Supreme Court Judgment.
“The Commission wishes to appeal to Mr. President to protect it and rein in the Nigeria Police Force to respect the Constitutional Mandate of the Commission to recruit. The Nigeria Police Force is created to enforce the law and not to circumvent it in whatever guise.
“It is the considered opinion of the Commission that the successful candidates should be allowed to proceed on training without delay,” the statement read.
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