From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has disclosed that more than 90 per cent of the applicants seeking recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force have consistently failed to score up to 30 per cent in their examinations.
The Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Musliu Smith, disclosed this during a day sensitization and town hall meeting on the Police Recruitment exercise, held in Birnin Kebbi which was also attended by retired AIG, Alhaji Lawal Bawa, who is Commissioner of PSC in charge of the North West region.
Smith, whose speech was read by the Deputy Director of PSC, Hajia Hawa Komo, explained that the part of the challenges the Commission discovered during recruitment exercises, was the academic challenges of the applicants, which he described as a sad reflection of the society.
According to him, ‘society must encourage upright and responsible citizens to apply for recruitment. If our responsible and upright young ones are discouraged from joining the police, where are we going to source for the police officers of our dreams?
‘Police and policing are a noble act and deserves the best of the society to join and change the narrative on the issue of internal security of our nation. We must raise alarm if we notice not so good persons applying to join the police. There have been cases of robbers finding their way into recruitment camps. We must all come together as a community to ensure only the best apply for and are recruited into the Nigeria Police.’
Smith noted that the additional concern of the PSC was that ‘most of the applicants seem academically challenged as more than 90% have consistently failed to score up to 30% in the examinations.
‘This is a sad reflection of the calibre of officers that will be patrolling our communities in the event that these persons actually end up enlisted in the police. Perhaps owing to disenchantment with the police, the inability of citizens to appreciate the value of police and policing has further impacted the quality of persons applying to work in the force.
‘These challenges must be addressed. This is a herculean task which can be only achieved with the active support of members of the community like you,’ he said.
In his remark, Kebbi state Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government( SSG), Alhaji Umar Babale Yauri, allied himself with the submissions of the representatives of the traditional rulers at the event that, the traditional rulers should be given an opportunities to affirm the character, true identities of the applicants who are seeking for Police job from their domains
He noted that traditional rulers, who are the leaders at the grassroots, knew those who are criminals, well behaved, honest and sincere who would be fit to be recruited into the Nigeria Police Force.
Bagudu, who commended the sacrifices of the Nigeria Police to ensure peace in Kebbi State, pledged the readiness of the state government to continue to partner with the Commission, and the police for a peaceful society.
Earlier, the Kebbi State Commissioner of Police, Mr Musa Baba, noted that brilliant young Nigerians are eager to join the Nigeria police compared to the past when intelligent citizens were running away from the force.
The representatives of the Emir of Zuru, Yauri, Argungu, Alhaji Abubakar Sahabi, Alhaji Shehu Abbas and Alhaji Musa Alkali, urged the Commission to inculcate the traditional rulers into the recruitment exercise procedures stressed that they are the ones who really their youths in their territory who are not criminal minded.
Pastor Ibrahim Michika, who spoke in the programme, alleged that many non-indigenes of the Kebbi state have been using the state of origin of a few local government areas to secure employment not only in the police but other agencies and sought for the Commission prompt intervention to end the impersonations.