By Ayorinde Taiwo (SIWES Student, Gateway Poly)
On October 26, 2023, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Solomon Arase, expressed concerns about the limited interest of citizens from the South-East region in joining the Nigeria Police Force.
As the ongoing recruitment of general-duty constables into the Nigeria Police Force reached its ninth day, Kaduna State took the lead with 20,259 applicants, while Anambra State had the lowest application rate, with only 541 applicants.
Following Kaduna and Adamawa States at the top were Borno, Bauchi, Katsina, and Kano States, with significant numbers of applicants. However, other South-East states did not perform much better, with relatively low application rates in Ebonyi, Abia, Imo, and Enugu.
States with relatively lower applicants included Bayelsa, Lagos, Delta, and Edo. The PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, emphasized the need for South-East leaders to encourage their youths to take an interest in police recruitment.
Solomon Arase stressed that the South-East, currently facing challenges related to non-state actors’ rebellion, should actively participate in joining the Nigeria Police Force to provide indigenous solutions to these issues.
He called on the region’s leadership to motivate its youth to seize the opportunity presented by the ongoing recruitment, emphasizing the importance of not remaining indifferent.
Arase noted that it would be difficult for South-East leaders to justify claims of marginalization if their youth chose not to take advantage of the government’s generous offer of employment within the Police Force. He urged them to maximize the remaining five weeks for their youth to join the recruitment process.
