The Police Service Commission (PSC) says over 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.
Alhaji Musliu Smith, the commission’s Chairman, stated this during a one-day sensitisation and town- hall meeting on the Police Recruitment Exercise in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.
He said, “Part of the challenges the commission discovered during recruitment exercises from 2019 was the academic challenges of the applicants which is a sad reflection on the society.
“The 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, whose speech was read by the Deputy Director of the commission, Hajiya Hawa Komo, noted that the development called for concern.
He said it was a sad reflection of the caliber of officers that will be patrolling communities in the event that these persons actually ended 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 only be achieved with the active support of members of the community, “ he said.
The chairman said that the aim of the sensitisation was to directly engage with the stakeholders and listen to their stories and anxieties in order to address them for deeper relationship with citizens.
In his remark, the Kebbi Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, said that traditional rulers should be given an opportunity to affirm the character, true identity of the applicants seeking for police job from their domains.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Alhaji Umar Babale-Yauri, said he was in full support of the submissions of the representatives of the traditional rulers at the event.
“The traditional rulers, who are the leaders at the grassroots, know those who are criminals, well behaved, honest and sincere; and who would be fit to be recruited into the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.
Bagudu commended the sacrifices of the police in securing the state, while pledging the readiness of the state government to continue to partner with the commission and the police for the maintaining the peace in the state.
Earlier, Commissioner of Police, Kebbi, Alhaji Musa Baba, noted that brilliant youths were eager to join the force compared to the past when intelligent citizens were running away from the force.
Some representatives of traditional rulers and religious leaders, who spoke at the event, urged the commission to involve the traditional rulers in the recruitment exercise, stressing that they are the ones who really know the good youths in their domains.