Police recruitment to commence in March – PSC boss Mike Okiro

The Chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr. Mike Okiro, said the recruitment of 10,000 policemen into the Force would commence in March.

Okiro disclosed this on Friday night in Lagos during the Achiever’s Award held in his honour by the New Telegraph Newspapers.

He, however, did not mention the date and places the recruitment would start; stressing that lack of fund to implement the project had delayed the exercise.

Okiro, who was the 13th indigenous Inspector-General of Police (I-G), noted that the current number of police officers were inadequate to the Nigeria population.

President Muhammadu Buhari, on August 17, 2015 had announced plans by the federal government to recruit 10,000 new police officers.

Okiro said while he was an I-G, about 15,646 men and women were recruited into the police, stressing that 4,443 officers and men were promoted same period.

He said he recruited 82 aircraft engineers and more than 20 pilots, while about 1,142 disciplinary matters against officers and men were treated by his administration.

The chairman said he received about 1,117 petitions against officers and men during his period.
He commended the efforts of the media in Nigeria, noting that their contribution would not go unmentioned in the history of the country.

Okiro said the role of the media guarantees societal well being, stressing that for their efforts; some Nigerians’ self-serving ploys would have undermined the nation’s democracy.

“Through their resoluteness, dogged determination and relentless barrage, such evil conceits were up-ended with our democracy the better for it,’’ he noted.

The chairman, however, urged the media to rally round the federal government in the fight against corruption and tackling economic crisis.

Okiro said that the event was a unique way of celebrating high achievers and projects a sublime innovation.

“Such have the propensity to push more Nigerians to add the needed impetus in their work, knowing that the society through the media would one day recognize and applied their worthy and selfless deeds.

“To me, I can only thank the Almighty God and my beloved country for offering such great opportunities to play a part in the art of nation building.

“But there is so much that we ought to put in place in order to enable all Nigerians to develop to their full potentials and optimally contribute to societal growth,’’ he said.

Okiro expressed the commitment of PSC under his watch to addressing the noted challenges of the Force, stressing that they have recorded huge success so far.

Dignitaries present include the I-G, Solomon Arase, AIG Zone 2, Bala Hassan, Commissioner of police in Lagos, Oyo and Mrs. Comfort Obi, a member of the PSC amongst others.