Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has called for a strategic shift in mobilizing and communicating with Abians regarding Police recruitment to ensure the State fills its allocated quota.
Governor Otti made the call on Tuesday, when he received a delegation from the Police Service Commission (PSC) overseeing Police recruitment in Abia.
The team, led by Mrs. Uche Wokocha, a Deputy Director of Procurement at the Commission, visited the State to conduct Medical screenings as part of the ongoing Police recruitment exercise, which began last year and has already seen some recruits graduate from the Police Academy.
Addressing concerns raised by the PSC delegation about the low participation of Abians in police recruitment due to factors such as lack of interest and failure in medical tests linked to substance abuse, the Governor noted that this disinterest is historical.
He explained that many Abians previously felt disconnected from the security forces.
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“We need to think outside the box on how we communicate our people, that the Police Force is a force belonging to the whole Nigeria and we need to enroll. We did that with the military and it worked last year. I don’t know when next you are recruiting.
“We need to do what we did exactly with the military. We went on campaigns, sometimes people don’t even know, no matter how much you advertised it, they may not know.
“Communicating with some of them is very difficult except they listen to the radio. So, if you are not on radio, they won’t hear the announcements.
“We used different strategies, different media platforms to let them know”, Governor Otti stated.
He assured the PSC delegation that the State Government is ready to collaborate in future recruitment drives to ensure Abians take full advantage of the opportunities available.
On the issue of substance abuse, Governor Otti described it as a major societal challenge and expressed concern over the increasing accessibility of illicit drugs.
“They have even discovered that pain killers can be drugs; like codeine and others. Codeine used to be for pain but today, they take it in excess and they become high.
“It’s a major war that we are fighting. We are working very closely with NDLEA, Homeland Security and other security agencies because you cannot divorce drug from crime. They are linked together; there is no way you fight crime without fighting drugs“, Governor Otti explained
Governor Otti reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to working closely with the Police Service Commission to achieve better recruitment outcomes for the State.
Earlier, the leader of the PSC delegation, Mrs. Uche Wokocha, commended Governor Otti for his unwavering support in ensuring that Abia indigenes in the Police Academy receive proper care, noting that he is the first Governor from the state to do so.
She also lauded the Governor for providing a designated center for Abians interested in joining the Police Force to document their details and called for further government support in mobilizing candidates for Police enrolment.
Mrs. Wokocha expressed optimism that with the Federal Government’s approval of a Police College in neighboring Akwa Ibom State, more Abians who are hesitant to travel far, will be encouraged to enlist.
In his vote of thanks, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ike Nwosu expressed gratitude to Governor Otti for the warm reception and hospitality extended to the PSC team.
He commended the Governor for his transformational leadership, stating that Abia has become a benchmark for good governance across Nigeria.
