Lawyer threatens to sue PSC for operating without board members
A lawyer, Silas Onu, has threatened to sue the Police Service Commission for “performing its functions without board members,” noting that the tenure of the last board members of the PSC elapsed in July 2023.
In May 2023, former President Muhammadu Buhari swore in the current Chairman of the PSC former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase.
However, the PSC currently has no board members.
The commission, on Thursday, February 15, 2024, announced that 171,856 successful applicants of the 547,774 who had applied to the police recruitment portal, had been shortlisted to undertake the 2024 March 5th Computer Based Test, scheduled to be held across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, and would be conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board.
In a letter addressed to the PSC, Onu argued that the commission was not established to carry out its functions with a sole administrator, adding that the current set-up of the PSC is contrary to Section (2) 1 of the PSC (Establishment) Act 2001.
The lawyer averred that the commission does not have the management empowered to make decisions.
The letter read, “The continuing actions of an individual purporting to have promoted, retired or recruited police officers since July 25, 2023, when the tenure of the last appointed board elapsed, is contrary to the provision of Section 2 (1) of the said Police Service Commission (Establishment) Act, 2001 that vest the management of the commission on the following nine members, collectively: (a) a Chairman who shall be the Chief Executive of the Commission.
“(b) a retired Justice of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal (c) a retired Police Officer not below the rank of Commissioner of Police, (d) one representative each of – (1) women interest; (i) the Nigerian Press (ii) Non-Governmental human rights organisations in Nigeria (iv) organised Private Sector; (v) the Secretary to the Commission.
“Section 2 (1) of the Police Service Commission (Establishment) Act, 2001 did not contemplate a sole administrator for the commission.
“However, since July 25, 2023, only one member of the Blboard (the chairman) has remained, also contrary to the provision of the Police Service Commission Act which considered his appointment determined on the 25th July 2023 for being an appointment made pursuant to Section 4 (3) of the Police Service Commission (Establishment) Act, 2001.”
It added that “the commission clearly does not have any management empowered to take decision for the commission since 25 July 2023.
“Therefore, we will be challenging the continued stay of a sole administrator and all the unlawful decisions taken by him since the date the Commission ceased to have a management at the Federal High Court upon the effluxion of 30 days from today.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, said he couldn’t address the issue outside official hours, adding that he was unaware of Onu’s letter as of the time of filing this report.
