It also demanded that its list of successful candidates and that of the police be subjected to a forensic audit using the result of the JAMB computer-based test.
The Spokesperson of the Commission, Ikechukwu Ani, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
The commission and the NPF have been having a running battle over the recently concluded recruitment.
The police had alleged that the exercise was marred with corruption and irregularities.
On Wednesday, the Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission(PSC) asked President Bola Timubu to immediately relieve the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, of his position for alleged anti-ethical behaviour and misconduct, which it said could destroy the peace of the country.
The recent sack of the Chairperson of the PSC, Solomon Arase, is believed to be connected to the face-off between the two organisations.
Mr Ani denied that the recruitment was marred with irregularities and asked the police to provide evidence.
“The commission demands that the police should provide verifiable evidence to prove the allegations peddled against it as it is obvious that it is a case of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
“It is important to state that due process was meticulously followed throughout the exercise and the commission wishes to assert its prerogative to exercise full control over recruitments into the Nigeria Police Force.
“The commission is also insisting that its list of successful candidates and that of the Police should be subjected to a forensic audit using the result of the JAMB computer based test,” he said.
The commission appealed to President Bola Tinubu to protect it and rein in the NPF to respect the constitutional mandate of the commission to recruit, noting that the Force was created to enforce the law and not to circumvent it in whatever guise.
Mr Ani also said the successful candidates should be allowed to proceed on training without delay.
Read the full statement
POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION
PRESS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT
PRESS RELEASE
2022 POLICE CONSTABLE RECRUITMENT:
OUR POSITION – PSC
The Police Service Commission has watched with keen interest developments since it concluded and released the list of successful candidates for recruitment as Constables into the Nigeria Police Force.
The Commission is disturbed at the flagrant abuse of ethics, the Constitution and valid judgment of the apex court of the land.
The Commission wishes to state as follows;
a. That the release of the confidential letter sent to the Chairman of the Commission by the Inspector General of Police on alleged lapses in the recruitment exercise to the Media was a gross violation of the Public Service Rules with grave Consequences.
b. That since 2019, when a former Inspector General of Police hijacked the soft copy of an ongoing recruitment exercise and forcefully completed the exercise without the input of the Commission – the statutory body solely charged with such responsibility, the Commission has not been allowed to perform this constitutional duty.
c. The Commission has at every turn suffered several indignities in its attempt to perform functions provided to it by the Constitution even after the Supreme Court decided the matter in its favour.
d. That this show of brute force and intimidation by the Police and most recently inducements of hired writers to run down the Commission in the Media is a serious affront on the mandate of the Commission.
The Commission has studied the issues around this successfully concluded recruitment exercise and has come to the conclusion that even after the Supreme Court Judgment, the Police is reluctant to allow the Commission perform this constitutional assignment.
The Commission demands that the Police should provide verifiable evidence to prove the allegations peddled against it as it is obvious that it is a case of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
It is important to state that due process was meticulously followed throughout the exercise and the Commission wishes to assert its prerogative to exercise full control over recruitments into the Nigeria Police Force.
The Commission is also insisting that its list of successful candidates and that of the Police should be subjected to a forensic audit using the result of the JAMB computer based test.
The Supreme Court Judgment delivered on 11th July 2023 in the case of NPF & Ors v Police Service Commission & Anor (2023) – LPELR-60782(SC) reinforces the Commission’s “exclusive” statutory authority in the recruitment of Constables.
The Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeal judgment delivered on the 30th September, 2020.
The Appeal Court among other decisions gave an order of “Perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant.