Police Service Commission To Take Fresh Decision On Recruitment Of Constables By IGP

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has disclosed that it will take a fresh look at circumstances surrounding the recruitment of constables into the Nigeria Police Force.

The spokesperson of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani explained in a statement on Monday that this follows the decision of the appeal court to restore powers of recruiting into the Force to the commission.

He explained that the fate of the 2019 and the on-going 2020 recruitment into the Constable cadre of the Nigeria Police Force needs to be reviewed following the appeal court judgment.

While promising to be guided by the rule of law, Ani explained that the 2019/20 recruitment of constables into the force which was coordinated by the office of the Inspector-General of Police needs to be reviewed.

He assured that the PSC will continue to work with the Police Force.

The statement reads: “The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, September 30th 2020, returned the Constitutional powers of the Police Service Commission to appoint persons into the Nigeria Police Force, setting aside an earlier Federal High Court ruling to the contrary.

The Commission sees the judgment as victory for the rule of law and has always believed in the supremacy of the law. The Commission is happy with the judgment and will continue to work with the Nigeria Police Force for the collective good of the nation.

Meanwhile the Commission has continued to receive several calls on the fate of the 2019 and the on-going 2020 recruitment into the Constable cadre of the Nigeria Police Force already declared null and void by the judgment.

The Commission will soon meet to take a decision on the implications of the judgment and the way forward. It will continue to ensure that its operations are guided by established laws.”

Meanwhile, it will be recalled as earlier reported by Naija News that Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector-General of Police, has asked the Supreme Court to upturn the ruling of the Appeal Court which nullified the ongoing recruitment of 10,000 constables.

Recall that the Court of Appeal on Wednesday had halted the recruitment process, stated that the IGP and the NPF lacked the power to recruit the constables.

Justice Olabisi Ige, who led the three-man panel, had ruled that the Police Service Commission (PSC) is the body constitutionally saddled with the responsibility to recruit.

But IGP Adamu and the NPF, through their lawyer, Alex Izinyon (SAN), wrote to PSC Chairman to stay action on Friday.

The notice of appeal said the Court of Appeal “erred in law when they held that the provision of section 71 of the Nigeria Police Regulations 1968 made pursuant to section 46 of the Police Act is inconsistent with the provision of paragraph 30 Part I of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution”.

It stated that section 71 of the Nigeria Police Regulations 1968 conferred on the IGP “the power and responsibility of enlisting recruit constables”, while the provision of “Paragraph 30 Part I of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution and section 6 of the Police Service Commission (Establishment) Act, 2001, the 1st respondent is empowered to appoint persons to offices in the 1st appellant”.

The appellants noted that the Court of Appeal was on an error in its findings that the provision of Section 71 of the Nigeria Police Regulations, 1968 made pursuant to Section 46 of the Police Act is inconsistent with the provision of paragraph 30 Part I of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution.

They are asking the Supreme Court to set aside the Court of Appeal judgment, dismiss the appeal filed by the PSC, and affirm the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered on December 2, 2019.