The Police Service Commission (PSC) has urged Nigerians in the South-West region to participate in the ongoing recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force to avert catastrophe in future.
The PSC Chairman, Mr Musiliu Smith, gave the advice during a one-day sensitisation and town hall meeting on the 2022 Police Recruitment exercise held on Wednesday in Ibadan.
Smith said that the strength of the Nigeria Police was very low compared to the United Nations recommendation and President Muhammadu Buhari had therefore approved recruitment into the force.
“If you don’t have people to replace those officers that are retiring or dead, maybe as a result of insecurity or natural death. If we don’t make adequate preparation for those people, our zone will have a problem.
“If we don’t have our sons and daughters participating in the recruitment, it is not good for any geopolitical zone of the country.
“That is why we are going round to appeal to stakeholders, don’t let us create problem for future generations and Nigeria as a whole,” he said.
Smith said that the commission was surprised that majority of the state including those in the South West region were not able to muster the number of police recruit that would come to the force in their states.
He said some of those that applied were not able to pass the examination and medical test due to one form of illness or the other.
The PSC chairman warned traditional rulers to desist from giving recommendations to persons not from their states or who insist on inducement before meeting this obligation
Smith commended the federal government on the improvement on police welfare and the provision of equipment and urged it to do more.
In his contribution, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba AbdulRasheed Akanbi, urged the PSC to carry along the traditional rulers in police recruitment exercise in order not to employ criminals.
Akanbi also called for the increment of police minimum wage to N100,000 so as to discourage bribe taking and motivate others to join the force.
The President of Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Oluyemisi Adeaga, pledged the commitment of stakeholders to educate the people on the need to participate in the recruitment exercise.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in attendance at the meeting were traditional rulers, religious leaders, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) members among others.(NAN)
