The war between the Police Service Commission, PSC, and the Police High Command over whether the Nigeria Police Force or PSC has the statutory role of recruiting new constables took a new turn, Wednesday, as the Commission’s Chairman, Mr. Musiliu Smith, a former Inspector-General of Police, resigned from his position.
According to reports, Mr. Smith reportedly submitted his resignation letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, last week, and he got approval on Tuesday. The erstwhile Chairman then tendered the same approved resignation to the PSC Board, on Wednesday.
Spokesman for the Board and South-South Commissioner, Mr. Austin Braimoh, confirmed the development to newsmen, Wednesday, but stressed that Mr. Smith resigned on health grounds.
Braimoh further revealed that retired Justice Lara Ogunbiyi has been appointed as acting chairperson of the Commission, adding that the power to appoint a substantive Chairman resides in President Buhari .
The Police Service Commission and the Office of the Inspector-General of Police had been at loggerheads over which body has the right to recruit personnel into the Force.
Reccall that the PSC had recently advertised recruitment for constables and urged interested applicants to visit its website to apply. By the NPF moved swiftly to dissociate itself from the advert, advising the public to disregard it, even as it insisted that the recruitment process was the sole responsibility of the Force.
Mr. Musiliu Smith was appointed chairman of the PSC by President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2018.