Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Wednesday, insisted that despite calls by the workers of Police Service Commission (PSC), he would not accept the list of the candidates recruited as police constables by the agency.

Egbetokun said his resolve on the issue was based on the fact that he is leading over 300,000 officers across the country, the number he described as the largest in Africa, and they are all looking up to him for clear guidance and leadership.

The IGP, who stated this at Force Headquarters, Abuja, when he met with the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, Commissioners of Police and other top police officers, noted that he has a duty to ensure quality recruitment into the force.

He said, “The Inspector-General Police of Nigeria leads the largest police force in Africa. Over 300,000 officers and men look up to me for guidance and for leadership.

“I cannot sit down and look on and see how recruitment into the police force is anyhow. I cannot afford to disappoint the officers and men that he is leading. I have a duty to ensure quality recruitment into the police.

“And that includes quality participation of the police in the recruitment exercise. And that is exactly what we are doing. We are doing everything possible to make sure that qualified and capable individuals are recruited into the police.

“The problems we are having with the police now started with the recruitment. If we don’t pay attention to recruitment, a disaster is awaiting us. We can’t sit here as members of the force management team and allow that to happen,” he said.

The police boss dismissed fighting with the commission, stressing that the force was not in any way contesting the powers of the commission to recruit the police constables.

“There is no fight between the police and the Police Service Commission. The police will play their role. The Police Service Commission will play their role. We recognize the power of the commission to recruit for the police. We respect that power.

“And what we are doing is without prejudice to the powers of the Police Service Commission to recruit for the police. So there is no fight between the police and the Police Service Commission. The police will play their role. The Police Service Commission will play their role,” he stated.

Reacting to the call for his removal, Egbetokun said the police’s actions did not infringe upon the PSC’s authority to recruit for the police force.

He added that, “We recognise the power of the Commission to recruit for the police. We respect that power. And what we are doing is without prejudice to the powers of the Police Service Commission to recruit for the police.

“So, we have to be careful with the kind of people we recruit into the police. And that’s what we are saying. So we are not fighting anybody. We are not fighting.

“I won’t respond to a call for my removal. Anybody can call for my removal. Anybody who doesn’t like me can come out tomorrow and say, remove the IG. That’s not a problem. We are all entitled to our opinion,” he emphasised. (Daily Trust)

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