It is disconcerting that several weeks into the stalled police recruitment for 10, 000 constables, the Presidency has remained aloof over such a sensitive national issues.
The seeming indifference of the federal authorities, some say, is owing to the vested interest of some hawks in Aso Rock who saw to the easing out of Mr. Solomon Arase, a former Inspector General of Police, as Chairman of the Police Service Commission, PSC.
The PSC is vested with the statutory powers to recruit and discipline officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force to certain ranks chief of which is the recruitment of constables. It was created by an Act of the National Assembly known as the The Police Service Commission (Establishment) Act, 2001.
Over the years, there has been intense power play between the management of the PSC and the police authorities are Louis Edet House in Abuja.
Though the matter was a subject of legal battle for four years ending at the Supreme Court sometime in July, 2023 when the ape court held that it is the Commission that is vested with the right to recruit for the police, it will be imagined that that ruling should have settled the power struggle.
Rather, not even the much touted camaraderie that Mr. Arase spoke of in 2023 on his inauguration could help heal the festering gangrene.
It will be noted that prior to the 2023 Supreme Court ruling, the police had by fiat and unknown to law supervised over the 2019 and 2020 recruitment owing to backings by certain forces in the Buhari Presidency.
But that was an anomaly and it remains so.
The recent show of shame that led to the unwitting sack of Mr. Arase though he still has more than three years into his four year tenure speaks to the complicity of the Presidency. And this should not be the case.
The President in exercise of his powers under the Act fired Arase but apparently did not follow due process in that regard.
The Act in Part 1 Article 5. – (1) states: Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 4 of this Act, the Chairman and any other member, may at any time be removed from that office by the President acting on an address supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate praying that he be removed for
inability to discharge the functions of the Office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause of misconduct).
As at the time of going to press and several weeks after, there are no indications that the President sought the support of two thirds of Senators to remove Arase from office.
It has left tongues wagging that it is about “man know man,” a Nigerian euphemism for nepotism with the current Inspector General of Police, Mr. Olukayode Egbetokun, having being Chief Security Officer in Lagos State to President Bola Tinubu as governor.
What this signposts is that Arase’s removal was not for any misdemeanour rather to consolidate the powers of a “Lagos Boy” Besides, till date, the Presidency has not offered any reason for the sudden sack of the PSC chairman.
For clarity, this recruitment exercise started sometime October of 2023 and it beggars belief that several months after, the country is yet to get new constables even with the apparent need for fresh intakes in the face of poor policing across the country.
The recent allegations and counter-allegations by the police and PSC for a process that should be built on integrity, probity and accountability is troubling and ought to be expeditiously dealt with by the relevant authorities.
If the supervising authorities to recruit, discipline and control the police workforce are found wanting, it is better imagined what sort of personnel will be put out to undertake policing.
It is in the light of this that it has become urgent for the police hierarchy to not only provide evidence to back their allegations of underhand tactics in the stalled recruitment, but to warned off any matter relating to the intake of constables.
It has become apparent that the ongoing roforofo is not about the integrity of the process, rather the exercise has become a political tool for those in government and powerful individuals to have their people in the police. And this is regrettable!
What the government needs to do now is to verify the authenticity or otherwise of all those who passed the exams through the CBT process and allow those found worthy to proceed with their recruitment.
The huge resources and the number of man-hours spent on the exercise should not be thrown overboard. Also, the show of shame must be put to an end as it erodes the integrity of the force and country at large.
Already, the police have an image issue and to allow this to persist is to further put a dent on the reputation of a scarred force.
