By Kolawole Ojebisi
Some retired police officers have accused the Police Service Commission (PSC) of foot-dragging in complying with a judgment of the national industrial court, which ordered their reinstatement.
The officers have, therefore –through their lawyer– Adeleke Agbola, instituted contempt proceedings against the PSC and the inspector-general of police (IGP), over what they described as “non-compliance” to the 2022 court order.
Recall that In 2021, officers from courses 33, 34, and 35 were retired by the police authorities over claims that they had spent the mandatory 35 years in service.
The affected officers led by Egong Egwu Egong, Omeh Felix Okechukwu, Paul Obot Umoh, and Galadima Bello, later instituted a suit at the national industrial court against the PSC, IGP, and the Police force secretary, who are first to third defendants, respectively.
In April 2022, the court reportedly nullified the retirement of the affected officers and ruled that their first appointment dates should be the date they entered the police academy, not when enlisted as recruit constables.
The court reportedly ordered the following first appointment dates for the affected officers: course 33 – June 10, 1994; course 34 – August 6, 1996; and course 35 – May 1, 2000.
The court also directed the police authorities to pay the affected officers their full entitlements.
Since 2022, the affected persons said the police authorities have not fully implemented the order of the court relating to the reinstatement of the affected officers.
Aggrieved by the non-implement, the affected officers filed a contempt proceedings against PSC and IGP
Meanwhile, at the national industrial court in Abuja on February 4, Agbola, counsel to the claimants, said the statement released by PSC on January 31 was contrary to the 2022 order of the court.
The counsel prayed that the court ordered that status quo be maintained pending the committal proceedings.
“The judgment of the court is that the date is when the policemen got into the academy,” Agbola said.
“There is no appeal against the judgment. I urge the court that status quo be maintained pending the hearing of this committal proceedings to determine if there has been a breach on the basis that the judgment of the court must be obeyed.”
Responding, Ade Adedeji, counsel to the defendants, said the police authorities have taken steps to obey the judgment of the court.
Adedeji said the PSC statement of January 31 has nothing to do with the affected officers, adding that the claimants have been posted and the defendants are law-abiding Nigerians.
After listening to the arguments, Osatohanmwen Osaghae, the presiding judge, adjourned the case to March 18 for the report of full compliance with the court order or hearing of committal proceedings.
On January 31, PSC ordered the immediate retirement of senior police officers who are above 60 years old or spent over 35 years in service.
Ikechukwu Ani, PSC spokesperson, had said the commission reversed the decision approved in September 2017 that “force entrants should have their date of appointment in the force against the date of their enlistment”.
