Graduate Policemen Protest Over Suspension Of Promotion Exercise

The rank and file in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) that joined the force with lower qualifications before obtaining university degree/Higher National Diploma (HND) have complained of negligence and injustice by the force against them, noting that after their promotion examination and final interview to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), which held in 2015, the exercise was suddenly abandoned, thisdaylive.com reports.

In an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, and signed by Abubakar Gambo, the distraught policemen supported their agitation with Section 39, Part IV (Appointment) of the Police Act and Regulation which says: “When vacancies in the establishment of Assistant Superintendents of Police cannot, by reason of unavailability of suitable candidates, be filled by promotions from within the force, the Inspector General shall so inform the Nigeria Police Council (NPC) and may request it to arrange for the post to be filled by direct entry.”

They appealed to the president to use his good office to direct that the promotion process, which had reached advanced stage before it was suspended, be completed, adding that: “We had written to the National Assembly, Police High Command (Force Headquarters) and the Police Service Commission (PSC) on the issue in February this year, but nothing concrete has been done. We are pleading that you use your good office as the Chairman of Police Council to intervene.

“Considering the resources that have gone into the exercise, it is only good to bring it to conclusion and avoid wastages.”

According to them, “Those that wrote the promotion examination and those who passed were interviewed by the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police in their various zones and the representatives of Police Service Commission (PSC).

More details later