The Police Service Commission (PSC) has expressed concern over the low enrollment of youths from the South-East into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The Commissioner, representing South-East in the PSC, Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, disclosed this on Friday during a town hall meeting in Enugu.

He said the town hall meeting was organised by the PSC to sensitise residents of the state on the need for youths in the area to join the NPF.

According to him, the meeting became necessary following the seeming lack of interest in the NPF by youths in the zone, adding that even those that applied were not the best from the region.

He said “An additional concern is the fact that most of the applicants seem academically challenged as more than 90 per cent have consistently failed to score up to 30 per cent in the examinations.

“This is a sad reflection of the calibre of officers that will be patrolling our communities in the event that these persons actually end up enlisted in the police,” he said.

Nnamani said the issues border on the security of lives and property of the people and the best time to talk about it is now.

He said that the best time to join the NPF was now, adding that the PSC was reforming the system.

“The NPF that will tackle the security challenges in the country will be a new police force that will be well equipped and remunerated.

“The purpose of this meeting is to act in order to change this unsatisfactory development. Our people should join the armed forces,” he said.

Nnamani said that the sensitisation would be taken to all the states in the region.

Also, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, urged residents of the state to join the NPF

Ugwuanyi, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government. Prof. Simon Ortuanya, said that the state government would continue to work hard to secure the state.

In a keynote speech, the Consultant to PSC, Prof. Felix Asogwa, said that the situation presented by the data as it affected the region in the recruitment process was worrisome

Asogwa said that no fewer than 81, 000 persons had so far applied nationwide, adding that only about 7, 652 of such applications were from the Southeast. (Saturday Independent)

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