About 2,226 policemen yesterday protested against their botched promotions. The policemen, made up of inspectors and other ranks, accused the Police Service Commission (PSC), and the police council of failing to effect their promotions, three years after they had been screened.

In a statement by Sgt. Abdul Majeed Lukeman, they accused the police authorities of fraudulently promoting some policemen who offer them bribes. The statement said: “In 2015, the Nigeria police leaders at that time, in their wisdom saw a need to upgrade inspectors and other rank and file who possess higher educational qualifications.

“Based on that, they called for Aptitude Test (examination) and screening of officers with university degrees and Higher National Diploma (HND). They added that those with certificates were to be upgraded to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP). They cited police wireless message (signal) CB: 7510/DTD/FGQ/ABJ/Vol.7/11, DTO 151800/06/2015 promotion general, dated 06/2015.

The protesters said: “The examination and the screening were done by the police authorities, in conjunction with the PSC in various state and zonal commands. They disclosed that after the examination and screening, 50 successful candidates were shortlisted from each state of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The exercise, which was done according to their states of origins and local council areas, included a supplementary list, which made the number 2,226 candidates, they added.

“Eventually, in December 2015, the police authority called for the final screening at the FHQ, Abuja by a signal No. CB: 7510/DTD FHQ/ABJ/VOL.7/66, dated December 5, 2015. “But to our utmost surprise, at the peak of the screening exercise at the FHQ, we were told to go back to our various commands/formations for further directives,” they said.

The aggrieved policemen also alleged that the Senate Committee on Police Affairs had said it was in custody of names of successful candidates who were to be upgraded to the rank of ASP, based on their educational qualifications.

The committee claimed that it obtained the names from the former Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, and promised to ensure that there was no lopsidedness in the promotions. They lamented that while they were still waiting to be called, the police authority differed the laid down procedure of promotion into the rank of ASP.

This, they, added was a breach of Section 39, Part IV of the Police Act and Regulation, by calling for recruitment of civilian graduates as cadet ASP, without any recourse to those already screened. The policemen held that the action was also contrary to the Police Act, which said that recruitment could only be done, if suitable candidates were not found from within. They urged the relevant authorities to intervene to solve the problem.

•Sourced from a Guardian report

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