Reps Wade Into PSC, IGP Face-off Over Police Recruitment

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate and settle the lingering dispute between the Nigeria Police Service Commission (PSC) and the inspector-general of police, which has resulted in an impasse and halted the 2023/2024 Police recruitment exercise.

This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance, which was moved by Hon. Metema Obordor, a member representing the Ogbia Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, at the plenary yesterday.

The lawmaker moved the motion by noting that the Nigeria Police is under the supervision of the Police Service Commission, which has the power to appoint, promote, and dismiss all officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) except the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

He said that given Nigeria‘s population and security situation, the ideal police-to-citizen ratio should be one police officer to 200 citizens. However, the current ratio is one police officer to 650 citizens, indicating a significant shortfall in the Nigeria police strength and far below the United Nations recommendation of one police officer to 450 citizens.

Obordor acknowledged the lingering dispute between the Nigeria Police Service Commission and the IGP, which resulted in an impasse and regrettably halted the ongoing recruitment process for almost ten months.

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He expressed concern over the lingering dispute between the commission and the IGP, which has resulted in a halt in the 2023/2024 recruitment process and exacerbated the existing shortage of police personnel, undermining the police‘s capacity to respond effectively to security threats.

He harped on the critical need to strengthen the Nigerian police by setting a ratio of one police officer to 200 citizens or adopting the United Nations recommendation of one police officer to 450 citizens to address the escalating security challenges facing our nation.

The lawmaker insisted that resolving the lingering dispute and recruiting additional police officers are crucial to bolstering Nigeria‘s security and ensuring the safety of citizens.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated its Committee on Police to investigate the root cause of the lingering dispute between the PSC and the IGP, resolve the dispute, proceed with the recruitment process without further delay, and report back in four weeks.

The House also called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to provide adequate funding and resources necessary to support the recruitment and training of police officers and increase the number of police personnel to be recruited and, in doing so, ensure that the federal character provisions as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution are strictly adhered to.