From Chuks Onuoha, Umuahia
Following bickering and complaints over promotion of police officers, the Federal Government has instructed the Police Service Commission (PSC) to suspend the exercise for now.
In the last couple of months, the PSC has been considering recommended police officers for promotion. Some officers have been promoted, while another promotion exercise was earlier scheduled for consideration tomorrow when the PSC was billed to meet.
Sources revealed that junior deputy commissioners of police to the rank of commissioners of police have been recommended for promotion above officers on the same rank who enlisted in the police first.
Daily Sun investigation revealed that the police high command had recommended some police officers to the PSC for promotion, which has caused a lot bad feelings among police officers who see the development as injustified.
Checks revealed that seven vacancies exist for the rank of commissioners of police, but instead of officers who became deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) first to be recommended for promotion, candidates who just got their promotion as DCPs were instead put forward for another elevation. The recommended officers were billed for the interview for promotion to police commissioners.
The aggrieved police officers say if this happens, their juniors would become their bosses.
It was gathered that three junior DCPs who were promoted in 2016 and another four others who were promoted in acting capacity in January 2017 were recommendation for another promotion to police commissioners.
“The police force that should show good example is discriminating and segregating against its own people. This is injustice. It is sad. How can these people put out their best?” a police officer who pleaded anonymity said.
He called on the Police Service Commission and other relevant agencies to look into the matter and correct this error, as it is not good for the image of the police.
Reacting on the issue, the Force Public Relation Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, said he was not competent to talk on the matter of promotion.
He said the Police Service Commission’s public relations department was the department that could comment on it.
Efforts to reach the PSC’s public relations department yielded no result.
Meanwhile, the fate of the PSC’s meeting earlier scheduled for tomorrow is uncertain, following the directive to suspend the screening of recommended DCPs for promotion to CP.
Sources revealed that, following petitions to the Presidency, Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, instructed the chairman of the PSC, Mike Okiro, to stay action on the exercise.