15th September, 2022
Controversies are now trailing the sudden resignation of Alhaji Musiliu Smith as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, PSC.
Smith was appointed the Chairman of PSC by President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2018. He succeeded Mike Okiro, also a former Inspector-General of Police.
NAN also quoted a source as confirming that Smith had earlier submitted a notice of resignation to President Muhammad Buhari.
Some reports indicated that the PSC Board, at its meeting on Wednesday, asked Smith to resign and hand over to retired Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, who represents the judiciary at the commission.
Just like his predecessors, Smith, also a former Inspector General of Police was ‘asked to step aside, amidst crises over power tussle with the leadership of Nigeria Police Force over recruitment of 10,000 police constables.
The disagreement got to head recently when the PSC advertised recruitment 2022 Police recruitment exercise for 10,000 Constables.
“The Nigeria Police Force wishes to inform well-meaning members of the public that it has not commenced the 2022 Police Constables Recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force contrary to a publication on Page 21 of a National Daily of Thursday August 11, 2022 by the Police Service Commission (PSC) The police similarly state unequivocally that the advert has no connection with the Nigeria Police Force nor is it in tandem with the police recruitment process, and should be disregarded in all its entirety,” Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi said in a statement asking Nigerians to disregard the advertisement and call for applications.
“The website to which the publication refers intending candidates – http://www.recruitment.psc.gov.ng – is not associated with the Nigeria Police Force,” he added.
Despite police disapproval, it was learnt that the recruitment portal has been running with over 60,000 applications received.
Workers of PSC have also been on strike for the past two weeks, over allegation that Smith ceded powers of the commission to recruit police personnel to the office of the Inspector General of Police as well as lack of promotion and training by the commission management under his management.
Thus, it was believed that Smith’s resignation may be linked to the power tussle with the police and grounding of activities at the Commission as a result of the workers’ strike.
But some reports also indicated that Smith may have resigned over a petition against him submitted to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) by a a Commissioner in the Police Service Commission (PSC), Naja’atu Muhammad.
The PSC member had in the petition, dated June 29, 2022, alleged that the chairman had been awarding contracts without following due process.
He listed the contracts to include the design and development of police e-recruitment portal for the commission, fee for the partitioning of office space, installation of wall panel and customised cabinet at the PSC head office building among others
However, Ikechukwu Ani, the Spokesman of PSC confirmed the resignation of Smith, saying an official statement would soon be issued by the commission on the matter.
But he said the former IGP resigned on health grounds.