The Police Service Commission has directed the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu to hand over the 2019 and 2020 recruitment of constables exercise.
The agency hinged its demand on a September 2020 Court of Appeal judgment which nullified a lower court ruling dated December 2, 2019, and affirmed the commission’s constitutional mandate to recruit constables into the Nigeria Police.
The Court of Appeal had declared null, void and unconstitutional the Police Act 2020 enacted in September, which empowered the IG to recruit police constables.
It further ruled that the provision of the Act was in conflict with paragraph 30 Part 1 of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution which “empowers the commission to appoint persons into offices in the Nigeria Police Force except the Office of the Inspector-General of Police.”
The judgment also nullified the recruitment of 10,000 constables carried out by the police authorities last year.
However, the IG has appealed the ruling on 20 grounds stating that the court erred in its judgment.
Adamu had also asked the PSC to stay execution of the judgment but the commission in its letter dated October 20, 2020, directed him to hand over the recruitment exercise in obedience to the court order.
The letter titled, ‘Judgment of the Court of Appeal in suit no. CA/A84/2020 in relation to the 2019 and 2020 recruitment exercise of constables into the Nigeria Police Force and cadets into the Nigeria Police Academy,’ was signed by the PSC Chairman, Musiliu Smith.
It instructed the police boss on the various declarations of the Appellate Court in respect of the constables’ recruitment in relation to Section 153 (1) (m) (2) and Section 215 (1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution which makes the PSC the statutory body “responsible for the appointment, promotion, dismissal and exercise of disciplinary control over persons holding or aspiring to hold offices in Nigeria Police Force except the IG.”
The commission emphasised that nothing had affected the sanctity of the court judgment until set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction, noting that adherence to the rule of law was the bedrock of democracy.
The seven-page letter read, “Adherence to the rule of law is the rock upon which any democratic government (including the ruling government) is based; of which obedience to the court order is one of the cardinal principles.
“Accordingly, your office is invited to note the commission’s ratification of the 2019 recruitment exercise for constables into the Nigeria Police Force done by your office.
“You are to hand over the ongoing 2020 recruitment exercise of police constables into the Nigeria Police Force and cadets into the Nigeria Police Academy in compliance with the order of the Court of Appeal forthwith, while you collaborate with the commission in completing the two exercises and in future exercises.”
It could not be ascertained if the IG had complied with the directive as the force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, could not be reached for comment on Saturday. Punch
