The Police Service Commission (PSC) has urged President Bola Tinubu to dismiss Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun for allegedly undermining the police recruitment process, News About Nigeria reports.
The PSC also refuted accusations of corruption directed at the commission.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Adoyi Adoyi, Chairman of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission (PSC), expressed his displeasure over what he termed false allegations against the PSC.
“We begin this press conference with a clarion call on the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, to immediately relieve the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, of his appointment. Our concern stems from the fact that a public officer who misleads the President is causing confusion in the country and may lead to chaos, which is antithetical to his duty as a police officer,” Adoyi stated.
He likened Egbetokun’s actions to those of the Biblical Haman, who deceived his principal with potentially disastrous consequences.
Adoyi further alleged that certain elements within the police attempted to illicitly add over 1,000 names to the recruitment list.
Recall that last week, the IGP, through a statement issued by Force Public Relations Officer ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, accused the PSC of corruption and irregularities in the recruitment process.
Adejobi claimed that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had received numerous complaints and allegations of corruption from candidates and stakeholders, pointing to the disappearance of the names of candidates who had successfully completed the recruitment process.
Adejobi stated that an inspection of the PSC portal revealed that several individuals on the list had not applied for or participated in the recruitment exercise.
He also noted that some individuals who had failed the computer-based test (CBT) or the physical screening, as well as those disqualified on medical grounds, were listed as successful candidates.
The IGP had formally objected to the recruitment list in a letter to the PSC Chairman on June 10, 2024.
Adejobi clarified that while the Supreme Court has ruled that the PSC has the power to recruit for the police, this power does not extend to recruiting unqualified individuals.
“The police bear the brunt of recruiting unqualified individuals, not the PSC. The same people who recruit indiscriminately will later accuse the police of inefficiency when their recruits fail to perform adequately,” Adejobi argued.
The NPF has disassociated itself from the published list and called for a transparent and credible review process to ensure that only qualified, competent, and trainable individuals are recruited into the police force.
