The House of Representatives has waded into the face-off between the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Police Service Commission (PSC) over recruitment into the force.
This followed the adoption of a motion on urgent public importance by Mitema Obordor (PDP -Bayelsa) during plenary in Abuja on Thursday, July 11, 2024.
Obordor presented a motion that the NPF is under the supervision of the PSC which has the power to appoint, promote, and dismiss all officers of the Nigeria Police Force except the Inspector-General of Police (IGP)
This, he said, was with the objective of brokering a relationship of trust and confidence between the public and the police.
The lawmaker stated that in view of the population of Nigeria and the security situation in the country, the ideal police-to-citizen ratio in Nigeria ought to be one police officer to 200 citizens.
Obordor, however, said the country currently has a ratio of one police officer to 650 citizens, indicating a significant shortfall in police strength.
Recruitment: Police stopping us from performing our duties, says PSC
This, he said, was far below the United Nations recommendation of one police officer to 450 citizens.
He noted that the lingering dispute between the PSC and the NPF resulted in an impasse, and had regrettably halted the ongoing Constable recruitment process for almost 10 months.
Obordor said there is a critical need to strengthen the NPF by setting a ratio of one police officer to 200 citizens.
He said it was imperative to adopt the United Nations recommendation of a ratio of one police officer to 450 citizens to address the escalating security challenges facing the nation.
The lawmaker added that the shortage of police officers has reduced police presence in communities, thereby, leading to a surge in crime rates as criminals took advantage of the situation.
Adopting the motion, the House urged its committees on police to investigate the root cause of the lingering dispute between the PSC and the NPF.
This, the lawmakers said, was with the aim of resolving the dispute and proceeding with the recruitment process without further delay and to report to the House with recommendations within four weeks.
The House also urged the federal government to provide adequate funding and resources necessary to support recruitment and training of police officers.
It also urged the federal government to increase the number of police officers to be recruited and in doing so, ensure federal character provisions as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution are strictly adhered to.
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