The Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission (PSC) has urged President Bola Tinubu to dismiss Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, alleging his undue interference in the recent recruitment of police constables.
This call was made during a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja, where union representatives detailed various concerns about the integrity and fairness of the recruitment process.
The PSC has accused top officers within the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) of attempting to manipulate the recruitment by inserting names of unqualified candidates. According to the union, this interference undermines the transparency and fairness expected in the recruitment of new constables, raising serious questions about the integrity of the entire process.
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State of Police Training Schools
The union also highlighted the poor conditions of police training schools, asserting that these facilities are currently unfit to properly train the recruits. They suggested that the police hierarchy’s actions were aimed at concealing this lack of preparedness from President Tinubu, thereby preventing necessary interventions that could address these deficiencies.
During the press briefing, union members expressed their frustration through protest songs, condemning the police leadership’s responses as diversionary tactics meant to distract from the real issues at hand. They emphasized the need for President Tinubu to take decisive action to address these problems and restore the integrity of the recruitment process.
The controversy escalated after the PSC released a list of 10,000 successful candidates from the recent recruitment exercise. The police force rejected this list, accusing the commission of deceptive practices. This rejection fueled tensions between the PSC and the NPF, highlighting deep-seated issues within the recruitment process.
The conflict as evidence of corruption
As the controversy lingers, the union appears to be desperately seeking to halt the NPF’s aim to influence the recruitment exercise. They argue that the dismissal of the IGP is necessary to ensure transparency and accountability within the police force. However, given the prevalent nepotism in Nigeria and how Egbetokun emerged as the police boss, many believe it may be difficult to remove the IGP, even if he is found guilty of corruption.
The appointment of Egbetokun as IGP, which forced the retirement of several senior officers who were said to be more qualified for the position, came as a surprise to many. The development was criticized as a strategic maneuver to place Tinubu’s loyalists in key positions within the police force.
There were also allegations that Egbetokun’s appointment was a reward for his role in rigging the Rivers State presidential election in favor of Bola Tinubu. Serving as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) at the time, Egbetokun was accused of enabling political actors to sway votes in favor of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
These PSC’s allegations have further tainted his appointment, casting a shadow over the integrity of the police force under his leadership.
It is believed that this conflict between the PSC and the NPF has broader implications for Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies. Although disappointing, it does not come as a surprise to many given the notoriety of corruption in Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies. Stakeholders have called on Tinubu to probe the union’s allegations and, if proven true, initiate reforms in how the police force recruits and trains its personnel.