Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr Parry Osayande, said yesterday that promotions were not automatic but were based on merit, good job, exceptional performance and availability of vacancies.

He made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. NAN recalls that few months ago, the commission was accused of delaying promotion of officers recommended by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ogbonna Onovo.

Osayande said the commission had the right to reject recommendations on promotion when there were no vacancies. “Supposing I have vacancies for 20 commissioners of police and you recommend 60 or I have three and you recommend eight. What do you want me to do and where are we going to get money to pay them?

"In an organisation as large as the Nigeria Police Force, almost hitting 400,000, at one time or the other, there is bound to be stagnation which the people must put up with or you leave. So, you cannot force your employer to come and promote you. Promotions are based on merit, good job, exceptional performance and availability of vacancies. We are not going to be doing mass promotions and they cannot come and force us,” Osayande said.

He said the commission, which is responsible for appointment, discipline, promotion and demotion of police officers, had the right to ``manage its responsibilities in the areas of promotion and others." He warned the officers, who used the press to demand for promotion, to desist from such acts and borrow a leaf from the military.

“Why did they tell the press to come and tell us to be promoting them? Did you do that in the army, navy and prisons? It is only the police where there would be no discipline, which is what we are trying to cure. It is a curable defect. Promotion is not a right. It is a privilege and subject to certain conditions which the person, who is seeking for promotion must meet,” Osayande said.

According to him, officers seeking for promotion must pass promotion examination and must have done consistently good work. ``Promotions are now tied to passing of prescribed examination. That is, you must go on course for a given period of minimum of three months. You will be taught  specific subjects of police duties, public relations and other relevant policing subjects.

“You must pass and when you pass, you will join the merit list and you will be promoted subject to availability of vacancy. There is no employer that will promote over the approved establishment," he said.
This Day 09.29.2009