The Police Service Commission yesterday inaugurated a Police Recruitment Board (PRB) aimed at conducting a transparent Recruitment Exercise of 40, 000 Policemen into the Nigeria Police Force in line with the dictates of Due Process and best practices which are policy trusts of the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
Members of the Board which has a member of PSC, Dr. Otive Igbuzor as Chairman, are representatives Police Service Commission, the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Character Commission.

According to a statement signed by Ferdinand Ekpe, Chief Information officer of the Commission, Chairman of the Commission, DIG Parry Osayande (rtd), charged the board with the following terms of reference; to work out the criteria and processes of recruitment into the Nigeria Police force; to organize Recruitment of able_bodied men and women into the Nigeria Police force; to stipulate the time frame for the conduct of the recruitment exercises and the training of successful candidates; and to institute and implement mechanisms aimed at preventing the abuse of the recruitment process.
He challenged the Board to “deliver Recruitment Exercises that would set a standard in transparency in the conduct of National affairs noting that similar exercises in the past have been vitiated by corrupt practices which resulted in the Recruitment of unqualified, sub_standard and dregs of the society into the Police Force”.

He emphasized that the Commission is bent on getting the right type of candidates for the Force so as to put in place a Police Force that will meet with the challenges of policing Nigeria in the 21st Century and beyond.

Meanwhile, the Board has adopted the minimum entry requirement as stipulated in the government white paper on the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on the Reform of the Nigeria Police Force as follows: CATEGORY A:     A level or the equivalent; NCE or equivalent; and     ND or equivalent. This category will undergo a 15_month Training Program.

For CATEGORY B: The possession of West African School Certificate with 5 Credits, including English Language and a Pass in Mathematics or its equivalent is the minimum requirement.   This Category will undergo 18 months training.

It gave the time table for the Recruitment Exercise is as follows: Advertisement/Submission of forms – August 2, 2010 – September 9, 2010; interview and screening of Candidates – October 4, 2010 – October 9, 2010; Examination – October 23,  2010; Marking of Answer Script – October 25, 2010 – October 30, 2010; Selection of Candidates – November 1, 2010 – November 5, 2010; Release of Results  _  November 15, 2010; and Commencement of Training    December 1, 2010.
It added that the Recruitment Form is not for Sale.