Staff members of the Police Service Commission have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike should the commission’s chairman, Musiliu Smith; and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, fail to resolve issues relating to the recruitment of constables and other pending issues.
The Chairman, Joint Service Union, PSC chapter, Mr Adoyi Adoyi, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, amidst disagreement between the commission and the Nigeria Police Force on which body should be responsible for recruitment of constables.
Adoyi said, “We now have a ground to continue with our agitation, and this time around we are embarking on an indefinite strike. We are protesting even to the Presidency, and we will let everyone know that we cannot be kept redundant.
“No law puts the commission under the Ministry of Police Affairs. But they feel that the commission should be under the ministry, and the chairman has fallen for that.
“We have given the commission and the Police Force 24 hours to resolve the issue, if not; we will proceed with our action.”
Adoyi also noted that there was a retreat, but the outcome of the retreat was never deliberated upon nor implemented by the chairman of the PSC.
Meanwhile, Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Tuesday, said there was no problem between the police and the PSC, adding that the NPF needed to make a clarification on Monday for the sake of potential intakes who might be confused.
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Adejobi said this while featuring on a Channels TV programme, Sunrise Daily, on Tuesday.
He said, “We were shocked about the publication for recruitment on a national daily. Even some principal officers of the PSC were shocked.
“In as much as we are not instituting any investigation into that, we want to assure Nigerians that we are not ready for the 2022 recruitment exercise yet. We had just recruited the 2021 batch who resumed training about two weeks ago, and we are talking about recruiting 10,000 people. We cannot train them because our training school is currently occupied, so we are not ready for that now.”
In a statement by its Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, on Tuesday, the PSC noted that all issues regarding police recruitment would be resolved between the commission and the force in the interest of the nation.
The statement read, “Police Service Commission notes the publication of the Nigeria Police Force concerning the 2022 constable recruitment exercise.
“The commission wishes to state that all contending issues around the exercise will be resolved between the two parties in the interest of the nation.
“All interested applicants and other Nigerians desirous of a career in the Nigeria Police Force should exercise patience while these issues are being resolved. The commission will continue to strive to give Nigerians a Police Force they will be proud of.”