Police recall sacked 1,731 personnel in 3 states

Daily Trust Written by Hassan A. Karofi, Kano   

Tuesday, 17 March 2009

About 1,731 officers and men of the Nigeria police
force sacked during the 2005 rationalization exercise have been recalled in
Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States.

Already, those affected are attending a screening
exercise to ascertain their level of productivity before re-instatement.

Addressing a press conference in Kano yesterday, 
Deputy Inspector General of Police Uba Bala Ringim said a committee set up to
look into the dismissal of the 1,731  was in Kano to screen those
affected. Describing the 2005 mass sack as a mistake, he said the exercise was
meant to correct the abnormalities of the rationalization exercise.

According to him, those found not to be correctly
dismissed would be reinstated and reabsorbed.

DIG Ringim who was accompanied by the permanent
commissioner at the Police Service Commission, Abu Daura and other PSC members
said the exercise would last between 16th and 20th of this month.

The DIG disassociated the PSC from culpability in
the 2005 mass sack, revealing that the exercise was solely carried out by the
former Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero without the knowledge and
consent of the Police Service Commission.

“The PSC was not involved and the decision to
recall them now is not an admittance of any guilt since they were not part of
the decision then”, he said.

DIG Ringim used the opportunity to call on those
rationalized to come forward before the 20th to be screened for possible
re-absorption.

So far, according to him, 159 policemen from
Katsina command, 127 from Kano and 17 from Jigawa command out of the 1,731
affected have indicated their interest to be screened