Workers at the Police Service Commission (PSC) have called on President Bola Tinubu to remove Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), due to his alleged interference in the recruitment process for constables. This demand arose during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, where Adoyi Adoyi, the chairman of the joint union congress of the PSC, accused the police headquarters of attempting to compromise the integrity of the recruitment exercise.
Adoyi emphatically dismissed claims that the recruitment process was riddled with corruption and irregularities. According to him, the interference by the police authorities in the commission’s mandate is a direct violation of the constitution. He described this “meddlesomeness” as an “affront” to the constitutional powers vested in the commission.
Background
The controversy began on June 4, when the PSC released a list of 10,000 successful applicants for the positions of constable and specialist cadre roles. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) rejected this list, claiming the recruitment process was tainted with irregularities, including allegations of financial inducements. Muyiwa Adejobi, the force spokesperson, highlighted that the list included candidates who had failed either the computer-based test (CBT), the physical screening exercise, or both. Additionally, some candidates disqualified for medical reasons were also found on the list.
The situation escalated on June 10, when President Tinubu removed Solomon Arase as the chairman of the PSC and appointed Hashimu Argungu, a retired police officer, in his place. This abrupt change in leadership added fuel to the ongoing dispute between the PSC and the NPF.
Allegations of Political Motivation
Adoyi alleged that the accusations against the commission were part of a broader strategy to divert attention from more pressing issues. He contended that the police authorities were reluctant to open the police training schools despite the availability of funds. This reluctance, he argued, was a tactic to stall the recruitment process and undermine the PSC’s efforts.
Adoyi further claimed that the police training schools, which were supposed to accommodate the successful applicants, were not in suitable condition. He stated, “We have been furnished with reliable information indicating that elements within the police force attempted to smuggle over 1,000 names into the recruitment list.” This manipulation, according to Adoyi, was a severe breach of the recruitment process and an attempt to undermine the credibility of the entire exercise.
Adoyi also noted a series of events that seemed orchestrated to discredit and destabilize the commission. He pointed out that shortly after the commission released the list of successful candidates, the police authority communicated their distrust in the recruitment exercise, despite being involved in the process from the beginning. Following this, the sudden removal of the commission’s chairman appeared to be part of a “clandestine political conspiracy,” based on baseless allegations.
Adoyi concluded that the subsequent press release by the police, which aimed to subject the commission to a media trial, was a deliberate attempt to bypass official channels of communication and tarnish the commission’s reputation.
The ongoing conflict between the PSC and the NPF highlights significant challenges in Nigeria’s law enforcement recruitment process. The PSC workers’ union’s call for the dismissal of the IGP underscores the tension and the urgent need for a resolution that upholds the integrity of the recruitment process while ensuring that the constitutional mandate of the PSC is respected.
