The Police Service Commission, PSC, has highlighted reasons 1,500 policemen who benefited from the special promotion exercise carried out by the office of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris will be demoted.
There are reports that some top police officers including the Force Spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, Abba Kyari of the Intelligence Response Team and others will be demoted after gaining double promotion.
The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, PSC, Musiliu Smith has faulted the promotion of the officers, hence the need for it to be reversed.
Displeased by the planned move, Idris wrote to Smith wondering why the promotions of the officers should be reversed.
In a letter to Smith with reference number: CE:2300/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.27/46, dated September 23, 2018, the police boss insisted that the planned demotion was discriminatory on account of its arbitrary selection of officers to be affected.
Idris contended that the Commission lacked the power to review the promotions of the affected officers.
He also stressed that PSC’s power of promotion was only exercisable on his own recommendation, adding that the planned demotion could lead to multiple litigations.
Responding to Idris’ query, the PSC Chairman pointed out the Commission’s powers of appointment, promotion and discipline as enshrined in Section 6 of the Police Service Commission (Establishment) Act No 1 of 2001.
A letter by Smith with reference number PSC/CH/2.18/13/VOl.1 dated October 5, 2018 stated that the Commission had the overall supervisory function over the Nigeria Police Force.
Smith claimed that Idris’ appointments and postings of Commissioners of Police contravened Section 6 of the PSC Act which says, “The commission shall be responsible for the appointment and promotion of persons to offices (other than the office of the IG) in the NPF.”
He reminded the police boss of their discussions during his September 14 visit where the issue of large-scale special promotion without following due process was raised.
Smith insisted that an officer must have spent at least two years on his substantive post and should not have benefited from the special promotion in the last three years before he could qualify for the special promotion.
According to Smith, “The police rules and regulations established the fact that all unconfirmed Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Police must be made to sit for and pass the mandatory confirmation examinations.
“Never in the history of the force have special promotions been this cheapened and trivialized. It will be difficult to explain a situation where senior officers without any pending disciplinary matters are skipped perpetually while junior officers will be receiving double promotions within very short intervals.”
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