TENSION IN POLICE OVER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROMOTIONS.

By Yunusa Abugi in Abuja, Nigeria – November 19th, 2024. NIGERINFOBULETIN-It would be recalled that recently, the Police Service Commission (PSC) in a plenary session on March 29, 2023, promoted several senior police officers. The PSC, empowered by law to recruit, appoint, promote, and discipline police officers, forwarded the list of promoted officers to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for official communication and decoration. However, controversy arose when the IGP decided to communicate the promotion to only a select group of officers and proceeded to decorate them while refusing to convey the same to other promoted officers. The IGP's refusal was based on the fact that he was not the one who recommended the officers for promotion. The PSC's mandate allows it to promote senior officers based on recommendations from the IGP as well as well-meaning Nigerians. This legal framework ensures that promotions are based on merit and not solely on the IGP's recommendations. Among the officers who were promoted by the PSC but denied recognition by the IGP, then decided to seek legal action. They have filed a lawsuit in the industrial court, challenging the IGP's refusal to convey their promotions and decorate them. The officers argue that the IGP's selective decoration process is unfair and discriminatory, as it only favored those he personally recommended. The officers are seeking a court order to compel the IGP to recognize and decorate all promoted officers, ensuring that the PSC's decisions are upheld and that merit-based promotions are respected.

Consequently, Hon. Justice R.B Haastrup of the National Industrial Court Abuja today, the 19 of November, 2024 adjourned the suit to December 18, 2024. The suit was filed against the Nigeria Police Force and the IGP by some police officers on the grounds that the IGP refused to decorate them with their new ranks, despite their promotions being approved by the PSC pursuant to section 6 [1] [a] of the Police Service Commission (Establishment) Act. In the hearing today, Counsel representing the claimants, Barrister Muka’ila Yahaya Mavo, argued that the court should order the Nigeria Police Force and the IGP to implement the 19th plenary decision meeting of the PSC, which approved the promotion of 4,449 police officers. Mavo emphasized that this decision was in line with section 6 [1] [a] of the Police Service Commission Act and section 16 [3] [a] of the Police Act. He further argued that this practice has been upheld by the Supreme Court in the case of Nigeria Police Force & 2 Others V. Police Service Commission & 10 Others (2023) 95, part 1. NSCQR and the case of Inspector General of Police & Others v. Umolo & Anor (2022) LPELR-57715 (CA), where the court held that the PSC is responsible for the appointment, promotion, and discipline of all police officers, other than the IGP. At the time of filling this report, the Police PPRO could not be reached by our correspondent for response, but from all indications, this will be one of the litmus tests of internal wrangling before the current Police IG, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD. who is also a beneficiary of the said promotion. This case highlights the ongoing tensions within the police force regarding promotion processes and the need for transparency and fairness in recognizing the achievements of senior officers.