ThePolice Service Commission(PSC) has faulted the claim that the ongoing process of the police recruitment is corrupt and marred with irregularities.

Replying the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), the PSC staff Joint Union insisted that the recruitment process followed due process.

The union said it is aligned with the outcome result of what the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), CBT provided.

The PSC through the union said the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun’s claim that recruitment exercise is marred with irregularities, alleged Corruption is diversionary.

A statement jointly issued on Saturday by Ogundeji Remi, Adoyi Adoyi of the Joint Union Congress of the PSC said: “The attention of the Joint Union of the Staff of the Police Service Commission has been drawn to a Press Release with reference number CZ.5300/FPRD/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.6/178, dated June 15, 2024 and signed by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO),on behalf of the Inspector General of Police.

“The said Press Statement is not only in bad state but diversionary. It is sad to note that despite the unambiguity in the powers of the Police Service Commission (PSC) as clearly spelt out by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the subsequent interpretation of such powersby the Supreme Court, the Nigeria Police Force will still not allow the Commission exercise its Constitutional powers to appoint persons into the Nigeria Police Force.

“The claim that the Recruitment Board was crippled and was not allowed to function was no doubt a fallacy as the Board severally met before the release of the list of successful candidates. The same Boardmetand endorsed the list that was released on the 4th of June, 2024 at their usual meeting point, PSC Corporate Headquarters, with the DIG Training, Mr Frank Mba and other Police representatives in attendance.

“Meanwhile, it is also worthy of note that the Police had shortlisted and concluded the exercise without the knowledge of the Board and PSC. They had the effrontery to submit the listto the Commission. They wanted a meeting of the Board where they had planned to force the list on the Board but unfortunately their plans collapsed. For example, this takes us back to 2019 when the then IGP hijacked the list of candidates of the smooth on-going recruitment exercise from the Commission in the guise of having the list to prepare the training colleges for the training purposes and ended up smuggling hundreds of names of persons who neither applied nor participated in the screening process.

“A case in study is Nasarawa State with 13 Local Government Areas that is supposed to have had 253 successful candidates but ended up having 528 after the NPF had sneaked 275 candidates in excess. That culminated into the Commission instituting a legal action against the NPF over our mandate,” it said.

It said that the police and any other interested bodies are very free to investigate any act of financial dealings and corrupt practices as alleged by the Force Public Relations Officer.

PSC said: “considering the power and mandate of the Commission as derived from the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (and eventually reiterated, interpreted and established by the Supreme Court judgement of the 11th of July, 2023) and the 2001 Establishment Act of the Police Service Commission, the Commission is the only Executive Body charged with the responsibility, amongst others, of appointing qualified Nigerians into the Nigeria Police Force.

“However, as we mentioned earlier, based on the democratic nature, sense of responsibility, inclusiveness and transparency of the Commission, it has always involved other relevant Bodies, including the NPF, in the recruitment process. However, we would not succumb to any form of blackmail and threat as demonstrated by the Inspector-General of Policein the Press Release with reference number CZ.5300/FPRD/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.6/178, dated June 15, 2024 by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), signed on behalf of the Inspector General of Police,” PSC added. (The Nation)