The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith, has resigned his position.
His resignation on Wednesday came amid disagreement on which body between the PSC and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, should be responsible for the recruitment, promotion, and appointment of police constables and officers.
The Point gathered the Board of the PSC asked Smith to resign and he accepted.
When the spokesman of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, was contacted on telephone on Wednesday evening, he confirmed Smith’s resignation.
Ani however dispelled the rumours that Smith was forced to resign.
Ani said Smith’s resignation was on health grounds and President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted it.
Ani said: “Yes he resigned on his own on medical grounds and the President has accepted his resignation.’’
He said the commission will issue an official statement regarding the development on Thursday (today).
Smith, a former Inspector-General of Police, is expected to hand over to retired Justice Clara Ogunbiyi representing the judiciary at the commission.
The PSC and the office of the Inspector General of Police had been at loggerheads over which body had the right to conduct recruitment into the Force.
The PSC had advertised recruitment for constables and urged interested applicants to visit its website to apply.
But the police in a statement urged members of the public to discard the notice, insisting that the recruitment process is the sole responsibility of the Force.
Amid the disagreement, on August 24, the Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission issued a notice of indefinite strike to the management of the commission over a breach of agreement.
The union noted that the strike would commence from Monday, August 29, 2022.
The PSC workers, led by Adoyi Adoyi, chairman of joint union congress, PSC chapter, also asked Smith to resign if he cannot uphold the mandate of the commission as it relates to the recruitment of constables.
