• To Begin Training Monday June 11

Chairman, Police Service Commission, (PSC) rtd Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Sir Mike Okiro is said to have approved 5,233 prospective Police Constables, out of 37,062 candidates who were expected to attend the controversial written examination on Friday May 25.

In a release posted on the website of the PSC, www.psc.org.ng the chairman approved the list on Fridday during the last plenary session of Okiro’s tenure, which expires on June 12, 2018. The plenary session began on Wednesday June 6.

 The PSC earlier said, it shortlisted a total of 37,062 candidates for the examination, out of a total of 133,324 applicants who were earlier shortlisted for screening.

Out of the 37,062 candidates who  were expected to seat for the written examination, only 5,233 (5,253)were successful. The expected figure is 6,000 candidates to be recruited.

Kano and Katsina states have the highest candidates in the Police recruitment exercise.

Breakdown shows that Oyo is third with 225, while the federal capital territory (FCT) has the least number of candidates of 42.

In a regional breakdown, North-West has the highest candidates with 1, 300, followed by South-West with 921 candidates.

North-Central has 823 candidates, while South-South has 779. Similarly, North-East has 759 candidates, while South-East has the lowest with 651 candidates.

The examination was controversial as a result of some of the questions in Arabic language, which were set by the Joint Admission And Matriculation Board (JAMB). The inclusion of Arabic language aroused condemnation from Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which urged Okiro to cancel the exercise. The questions in Arabic language were only in 33 centers and more in the northern part of the country, prompting top Christian leaders from the North to complain of being marginalized in the exercise.

DAILY INDEPENDENT exclusively reported last week Friday that, the Chairman of CAN, Northern Zone, Rev. Yakubu Bam fumed at the use of Arabic language, stressing that, “all Nigerians are entitled to equal rights.“  He urged President Buhari and the National Assembly to order for the cancellation of the exercise. “The President and the National Assembly should cancel the exercise and set up another examination in English language for only credible Nigerians who merit the job to be recruited.”

He lamented that, “Northern Christians have always cried of being marginalized. Under this regime, it should not be condoned. Northern Christians should be given equal rights like their Muslim counterparts,” he stressed.

Also speaking, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) National Youth President, Engr David Kadzai queried what relevance it was to add Arabic language in an official matter. He believes that,  “if this trend continues, the position is that, very soon the police would be using Arabic in their official communication.”

Still condemning the inclusion of Arabic, the Christian leader noted that, “Arabic is not used in our normal official communication in Nigeria. Why did they not use Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa langauges, because these are our official languages.”

However, the Chairman of PSC, Mike Okiro said, he also “got the complain since Saturday”, and he called the Director of Examinations of JAMB who explained to him that, the Arabic and Agriculture as well as Arts subjects, were deliberately added to fill up the 180 questions required. They were support questions already in the software that powered the computer.”

He further explained that, any candidate who answered the   questions on Arabic, Agriculture and Arts were wasting their time, because they will not be marked.”

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