No Salary For Constables To Be Recruited Under Community Policing – Report

The constables expected to be recruited under the community policing initiative of the federal government will not be entitled to normal salary Naija News has learnt.

The Police on Monday disclosed the activities of these constables would be purely voluntary once the implementation of its community policing policy takes effect.

It will be recalled the Federal Government had on January 23 directed the police hierarchy to commence the recruitment of special constables nationwide preparatory to the implementation of its community policing policy.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, in a wireless message gave orders to all state commissioners of police, assistant commissioners of police and divisional police officers to liaise with traditional rulers and community leaders in their domains to screen volunteers who would be engaged after passing the screening tests.

The applicants must be between the ages of 21 and 50.

However, the Commissioner for Police in Ebonyi State, Sola Awotinde, in an interview with Punch noted that the proposed recruitment was meant for Nigerians who were already employed.

He said the proposed community policing scheme would run like the special marshal arm of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

He said, “We have not been given the green light to recruit anybody. We are just at the committee level. I mean the committee that will screen the would be special constables. No command has been given the go-ahead to commence the said recruitment. The Force Headquarters has not done that.

“It is the headquarters that would say go ahead and we will start. But no command has been given such an order. The first stage is screening and we are just setting up the screening committee.

“And please, people should be told this truth and sound it clear to them; it is not remuneration-based job. It is voluntary. It is just going to be like the special marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps.

“It is for those who are gainfully employed or self-employed. There is no salary for anybody in the community policing scheme. People are misconstruing it to mean another job opportunity and I have received so many calls over this.

“It is not a paid job. Again, it is a voluntary job. And there is nothing like recruitment of constables. Also those to be engaged must be between the age of 21 and below 50.”

Similarly, the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba said the constable recruitment is a call to service and not another recruitment opportunity.

Mba confirmed that the special constables would not be paid any salary, but stipends as they are only expected to work on a part-time basis.

“The special constables will not be on basic salary, but they would be paid stipends or allowances. That explains the reason the target is not unemployed persons, but employed people like journalists, lawyers, doctors, teachers, traders and those who are gainfully employed.

“The special constables are people who can give us part of their time. That is why it is modelled after the United Kingdom community policing system where people volunteer to provide services,” Mba stated.