PSC calls for proper background checks in the nation’s recruitment process

The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd), mni, has called for thorough and well-defined background checks in the nation’s recruitment process to ensure that the right people are selected and given opportunities to contribute to nation-building.

In a statement on Thursday, Ikechukwu Ani, Head of Press and Public Relations, said the DIG made this call at the 6th edition of the Commission’s ‘Arena of Knowledge’ weekly lecture series in Abuja. He declared that recruitment needs careful planning to meet objectives such as acquiring the best skills, ensuring proper jurisdiction, and maintaining democratic processes.

According to him, getting the right people into positions within the nation’s bureaucracy is challenging and requires an effective intake process in which individuals’ skills and knowledge are matched with job demands.

He insisted that successful recruitment will be difficult if jobs are vaguely defined, adding that it is also necessary to “search for and secure the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time.”

The PSC Chairman, who spoke on the topic “Hiring and Firing in the Public/Civil Service: Police Service Commission (PSC) Employment and Recruitment Template, Process, and Practices,” said background checks for applicants should include details such as schools attended, previous places of work, any criminal convictions, and public records like birth, marriage, and divorce certificates.

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DIG Argungu stated, “Appointments to all grades in Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies should be based on need.”

Also speaking on the same topic at the Arena of Knowledge lecture series, Mr. Sunday Abutu Garuba, Assistant Director in the Department of Human Resource Management in the Commission, emphasised that hiring and firing in the public service are critical processes that require adherence to established rules, regulations, and guidelines.

Mr Garuba noted that the Public Service Rules (PSR) provide a framework for ensuring merit, transparency, and fairness in the selection and management of civil servants. “Effective hiring practices attract top talent, while fair and just firing procedures maintain accountability and integrity in the public service,” he explained.

He remarked that by following due process and upholding the principles of public service, “we can build a competent, efficient, and responsive civil service that serves the nation with integrity and excellence.”