The Police Service Commission (PSC) has requested that the Accountant-General of the Federation cease the enrollment of 10,000 newly graduated constables from police training colleges onto the Integrated Payroll and Personnel System (IPPIS). The commission emphasized that these officers have not received their letters of appointment and, therefore, should not be included in the payment portal. According to the Public Service Rules, public officers not registered on the IPPIS are ineligible to receive salaries and other benefits. This situation arose after the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, allegedly refused to submit the names of these constables to the PSC for vetting, claiming that the Police Act of 2020 grants him the authority to recruit constables independently.
Additionally, the PSC has communicated with President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and the Head of Service, Folasade Yemi-Esan, regarding the enrollment of 20,000 police officers onto the salary portal without appointment letters. These personnel were recruited in 2020 and 2021. The ongoing conflict between the police authorities and the PSC stems from a struggle over the right to recruit constables. Although the Court of Appeal ruled on September 30, 2020, that the PSC holds the constitutional mandate to recruit constables, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) proceeded with recruitment in defiance of this ruling. The police appealed the judgment to the Supreme Court last year, two years after the initial order was issued.
Despite the court’s injunction against conducting constable recruitment, the police recruited 10,000 constables during the 2020 exercise. In total, two batches of 20,000 officers were recruited in 2020 and 2021 without the PSC’s involvement, under the leadership of former Inspector-General Musiliu Smith, who resigned in September 2022 due to health issues. Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, a retired Supreme Court Justice, has been acting as Commissioner 1 in the PSC while awaiting the appointment of a new chairman by the President.
The 2022 recruitment exercise has faced delays following a clash between the police and the PSC, particularly after the police disowned a newspaper advertisement for recruitment that the PSC had placed. Protests from the PSC regarding the legality of the IPPIS enrollment were reportedly ignored by the police unit, which had already completed the capturing of recruits from the 2021 exercise. Sources indicate that the police successfully enrolled both the 2020 and 2021 recruits despite the PSC’s refusal to authorize their inclusion in the Federal Government’s payment portal due to the ongoing disagreement.
To enroll on the IPPIS, a staff letter or gazette of first appointment is required. The PSC has raised concerns with the President and the Head of Service about the situation, but the constables continued to receive their salaries. A senior official stated, “The officers were enrolled on the IPPIS platform despite the PSC’s refusal to issue appointment letters to them. So far, the Federal Government has enrolled 20,000 police constables who lack appointment letters on its salary payment portal, violating financial regulations and Public Service Rules.” The official added that the police often send representatives to training colleges to enroll constables on the IPPIS without the necessary appointment letters.
When questioned about the enrollment of constables on the IPPIS without the required documentation, the Head of Communications for the Head of Service, Mohammed Ahmed, expressed disbelief, stating, “How can you enroll somebody on the platform that is not qualified?” He indicated that inquiries should be directed to the IPPIS department. As of now, it remains unclear whether the Accountant-General’s office has acted on the PSC’s request to suspend salaries for the police officers, especially since a new Accountant-General has yet to be appointed and the office currently lacks a spokesperson.
In response to the PSC’s request for the constables’ lists, the Inspector-General dismissed the commission’s concerns in a letter dated January 13, 2023, asserting that the Police Act of 2020 empowers him to recruit constables without the need for appointment letters, only requiring attestation. The PSC, however, reiterated its demand for the list of newly recruited constables for vetting, emphasizing that appointment letters would be issued thereafter. The commission warned the Inspector-General to refrain from enrolling individuals unknown to the PSC onto the salary platform.
In a letter dated January 17, 2023, the PSC reminded the Inspector-General of the Court of Appeal’s ruling, which restrains the police from interfering with the commission’s constitutional functions regarding the appointment of police officers. The letter highlighted that only an appointment letter issued by the PSC can validate a police officer’s appointment and subsequent enrollment into the IPPIS for salary payments. The PSC underscored that all police officers must be validated by the commission before being captured on the IPPIS payment platform, a standard practice that has been followed since 2016.
Several PSC officials have expressed concerns over the police’s refusal to release the constables’ lists, citing potential security risks and non-compliance with the Federal Character law. They noted that the recruitment process may not have adhered to the requisite criteria, leading to suspicions that individuals with questionable backgrounds could have infiltrated the police force.
The PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, defended the commission’s insistence on the necessity of appointment letters for constables before their enrollment on the IPPIS. While he was unaware of the letter sent to the Accountant-General, a top source within the commission confirmed that they had indeed communicated with both the Accountant-General and the Head of Service, who had reportedly instructed the IPPIS to halt the capturing of constables without appointment letters.
The force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, could not be reached for comments regarding the police’s alleged refusal to provide the constables’ lists for vetting. A lawyer, Dr. Daniel Makolo, expressed no surprise at the police’s disregard for the court judgment, attributing it to a broader trend of lawlessness in the country over the past seven years. He remarked, “Nigeria has been on autopilot for the past seven years. This government started with lawlessness, without regard for the constitution. So, I’m not surprised that the IG could disobey the order of the Court of Appeal.” He further criticized the ongoing impunity across various sectors, emphasizing the need for adherence to legal standards in recruitment practices.
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