For those groping for proof that Nigerians seriously crave jobs, need not search any further but ask the operators of the police recruitment portal, who have in 12 days received more 500,000 applications for consideration in advertised 10,000 positions.

Spokesman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Ikechukwu Ani, informed The Guardian yesterday evening that “as at this morning (yesterday 11th April,) 9:20 am (local time), more than 487,000 applications were received successfully, so we are saying that at the close of the day, more than 500,000 must have applied. I can confirm that from the technical people.”

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had last year at the opening of the National Security Summit, directed that 10,000 graduates should be recruited in the police force as part of his government’s drive to tackle youth unemployment as well as to bridge the manpower shortfall in the force. But the directive was not carried out because the financial commitment was not captured in the year’s appropriation

Following the declaration by the PSC chairman, Mike Okiro that the website for the recruitment of 10,000 additional policemen as directed by the President be opened for access by qualified applicants, it was greeted with jubilation.

The PSC had directed interested candidates to apply through its website, www.psc.gov.ng or that of the Nigeria Police Force, http://www.npf.gov.ng.

Investigation by The Guardian last week however, showed that the website was not opening as expected. An applicant, Master James, said: “At every click it would simply show ‘account for this site suspended, site under maintenance.” (The Guardian)

•Photo shows Sir Okiro.

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