Recruitment Crisis: Police Service Commission Chair Resigns

The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith, has resigned from office, ABN TV reports.

The former Inspector-General of Police was said to have tendered his resignation letter dated September 6, 2022, to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who approved it on September 12.

Smith, who retired on health grounds, had been travelling abroad for medical attention in the past few months.

Our correspondent gathered on Wednesday that the ex-IGP would hand over to a former Supreme Court Justice, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, who is the Commissioner one and the next in rank to the PSC Chairman.

The PSC Spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, confirmed that Smith resigned on health grounds.

“The chairman resigned on health grounds; it is not true that he was forced to resign by the board. I will be issuing an official statement on the development tomorrow (Thursday),’’ ABN TV learnt.

The commission had been at loggerheads with the police over the recruitment of constables.

Though the Appeal Court upheld the commission’s constitutional authority to recruit constables into the police, successive IGPs have continued to carry out the exercise.

Recent moves by the commission to exercise its mandate was challenged by the police authorities which issued a statement stopping the recruitment process.

The PSC had advertised the recruitment of constables and urged interested applicants to apply on its website.

But the police in a statement urged members of the public to discard the notice, insisting that the recruitment process was the sole responsibility of the Force.

However, last week, the commission re-commenced the planned recruitment of 10,000 constables, insisting that it was its prerogative to recruit men into the Nigeria Police Force.