The Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), IGP Solomon Arase (retd.), has met with delegations from the National Examination Council (NECO) and the Public Service Institute of Nigeria.
A press statement by the Commission’s Head, Media and Publicity, Ikechukwu Ani, Wednesday in Abuja, said Arase met separately with the two Institutions at the Corporate Headquarters of the Commission in Jabi, Abuja, on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he bemoaned the lack of capacity in the PSC and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
“He vowed to close the capacity gaps in the commission and the NPP and extended a hand of fellowship to the management of the two training and examination institutions so as to quickly fix these gaps in the interest of a viable and efficient policing in Nigeria as according to him, the Police, lead Agency in internal security and its oversight body, the commission should not be allowed to lack capacity especially at this critical period of nation building.
“The Chairman noted that over 200 senior police officers would soon be retiring from service and this will obviously create manpower shortfall and capacity gaps in the service.
Dr. Arase said the commission will want to deepen its relationship with the two Institutions so as to leverage on their manpower and capacity developments.
“He said the commission will also make a case for the upgrading of junior Officers who have obtained additional qualifications and will need to collaborate with the Institutions for short service trainings for these Officers before they are upgraded to the Officer cadre.
“He also admitted that the commission’s recruitment system has been problematic, adding that under his watch he will do what is right and complement the efforts of the police,” the spokesperson stated.
According to Ani, “This is not the age where you bring people who can not read or write and we have to be careful with the people we give arms to.”
He said the Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, Dr. Abdul-Ganiyu Obatoyinbo, commended the PSC chairman for his efforts so far in stablising a very important sector of the nations existence.
The Administrator said that the Institute as the face of the nation as it relates to capacity building will want to use the PSC chairman as a catalyst to forge a strong relationship with the Nigeria Police in terms of training since the police officers are public servants,” the stated read in part.
Ani further stated that, “The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NECO, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim, told the chairman that the examination body has come to stay and contributing to the nation’s educational career progression.”