Reps to IGP: Promote Officers Recommended by PSC

The House of Representatives today asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately implement the recommendation of the Police Service Commission (PSC) concerning promotion of some men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force.

This followed a motion on notice by the Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Kingsley Chinda alleging refusal of the IGP to implement the recommendations of the PSC.

Hon. Chinda informed the House of the non-implementation by the IGP and recommendations by the PSC for the promotion of qualified officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

He said as an important agency of the federal government; created under Section 214(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and according to Section 4 of the Police Act, the police force is empowered, among other things, to ensure the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders, the preservation of law and order, the protection of life and property, and the due enforcement of all laws and regulations with which they a
were directly charged;

He said the Inspector General of Police was appointed by the President of the country on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council, according to Section 215(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), while the Police Service Commission (PSC) is statutorily created and charged with responsibility for the appointment, promotion, and discipline of persons (other than the office of the IGP) in the Nigeria Police Force;

Chinda who heads the Minority Caucus in the House alleged that earlier in 2023, the PSC, in the exercise of its statutory responsibilities, at one of its meetings approved the promotion of several police officers, a notice of which was duly conveyed to the IGP to release signal and accordingly effect the same.

He said the IGP subsequently ignored the PSC recommendation and deliberately neglected and/or refused to effect the release, despite measures taken by the PSC for him to do so.

According to him, the IGP’s refusal to act on the PSC’s recommendation was not in the best interest of the men and officers of the NPF and the country at large.

He said unless swift measures were immediately taken to implement the PSC’s recommendations, the morale, commitment, and dedication to duty of the affected men and officers of the NPF were likely to be negatively affected.