The crisis of irregular promotions in the Nigerian police forces, by Okechukwu Nwangma – Thage

The recent controversy on the alleged irregular promotions within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has once again highlighted a long -standing crisis that continues to undermine the discipline, morality, professionalism and operational efficacy within the institution.

The main problem does not concern only promotions, but concerns the way the promotions are made. The accusations of favoritism, customer, political interference and contempt for the consolidated procedures followed the police promotions for years. These practices violate the foundations of career progression: merit, seniority, discipline and competence.

According to the rules of the public service and the guidelines for the promotion of the police, the promotions must be earned through a combination of services, years of service, training and exams. Special promotions, although not entirely excluded, should be exceptional and justifiable based on clearly defined criteria. In fact, under a previous administration, the commission for police services (PSC) officially suspended special promotions due to their rampant abuse and demoralizing impact on officers who have been bypassed despite having satisfied all the conditions for regular promotion.

But what we see today is a return – perhaps a worsening – of that discredited culture.

As a high officer complained, “an officer I know had to serve under someone who was four years younger as a cadet”. This is not an isolated story: it reflects a scheme. The officers who diligently served, met the benchmarks requested and patiently waited for their turn suddenly found themselves overcome by the Junior colleagues, promoted not for their merit, but for their closeness to political godfather or high officers.

This is more than a violation of the procedure: it is a betrayal of institutional integrity.

The impact is not simply administrative. Herod the discipline and service cohesion. The officers who feel deceived or put aside to lose their motivation to give their best. Some adopt a passive attitude “I don’t care”, while others retire emotionally and professionally from work. He raises the internal resentment, weakens the chain of command and undermines the structure of the leadership.

In the army, these practices are rare, if not absent. Even during military regimes, the hierarchy was respected. Ironically, as a police officer observed, “in terms of discipline and hierarchy, we went better with the military in power”. This statement is painful as he is saying. He underlines how democratic governance – foreseen to strengthen professionalism – is instead used by some politicians to reward loyalty and paralyze the police with a swollen and politicized brass.

Promotions should never be used as political tools. Each immense elevation creates a chain reaction of demoralization between dozens of deserving officers. Each act of favoritism reports to the rank and file that integrity, discipline and service no longer count.

Is it time that the commission for police services and the leadership of the Nigerian police forces are clean: are the promotion guidelines still in force? Was the prohibition of special promotions silently raised? What mechanisms exist to monitor compliance and to face the complaints of officers who feel aside?

If the goal is to build a modern, professional and responsible police force, we cannot continue to promote officers based on those who know, rather than what they have done. Nigeria police forces must overcome patronage and restore the progression based on merit as the foundation of institutional growth.

Something less is a disservice not only for the police, but for the Nigerian public whose security and trust are based on the shoulders of a demoralized and political police service.

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