[EDITORIAL] Police Character Certificates Charge

Just lately, the Nigeria Police Drive (NPF), surreptitiously elevated the official charge charged for Police Character Certificates (PCC) from N5, 000 to N40, 000. By this improvement, Nigerians travelling overseas, together with college students will now should pay N40,000 formally for police character certificates, often known as Police clearance certificates. This was within the wake of a directive, allegedly, from the Police excessive command.

Police Character Certificates principally certifies that the holder has no legal background in Nigeria. Though this doc can be issued to foreigners who dwell/resided in Nigeria for at the least 30 days, the knowledge on this web page is moderately centered on Nigerian Residents overseas who require the PCC for funding, residence permits, or different pursuits abroad.

The event comes amid studies that many Nigerians are in search of to depart the nation in the hunt for employment overseas owing to a fall in the usual of residing and a excessive unemployment price.

This charge represents a N700 per cent enhance from the unique charge of N5,000. Earlier than this official hike, the precise worth was often called it may vary from as little as N5, 000 to as excessive as N100, 000, relying on the police officer one approaches or the person requesting the certificates.

There have, nonetheless, been some cases the place it was reported that some candidates paid as excessive as N30, 000 to N50,000 beneath sure undisclosed situations. The remainder is best imagined, contemplating the extent of rot and corruption within the Nigeria Police Drive.

The underside line is that the price of police clearance certificates in Nigeria just isn’t identified, within the true sense of the phrase. It might even value you extra in case you are getting the Police Character Certificates from the Legal Investigation Division (CID) Registry Workplace. Additionally, your standing could possibly be a determinant for the price of police clearance; you may be charged extra when the officer in cost suspects you have got the monetary energy or in determined want of it.

You will need to observe that overseas, the Nigerian Consular Mission doesn’t problem Police Character Certificates. Nevertheless, some Nigerian Missions could apply for the Police Background Verify on applicant’s behalf, for a charge. The precise Nigerian Consular Mission’s function within the course of is Authentication which comes after the Police Clearance Certificates is obtained and legalized in Nigeria.

Consequently, Nigerians wishing to acquire this certificates are suggested to use straight in particular person or by way of a proxy (household or buddy) to the Nigerian Police Forensic Division. To make use of the doc overseas, it ought to be legalised on the Consular and Authorized Division, Ministry of International Affairs earlier than being offered to the Nigerian Consular Mission overseas for authentication. In case you are making use of by your self or by way of a 3rd celebration, it may take between 14 to 21 days so that you can get it.

Whereas not all international locations require the PCC doc, it’s noteworthy that the few which do are very strict about it and so they take particular care in asking for it as a way to verify the fundamental particulars of an individual, guaranteeing that they don’t have any legal data by any means. That is accomplished to keep up a crime-free society.

Nevertheless, it’s pertinent to level out that the Nigeria Police just isn’t a income producing organisation. The rise in charge charged for the Police Character Certificates is, subsequently, in our view unreasonably excessive. It’s appalling that because the report of the rise in charge charged for the character certificates final month, the police authorities have saved grave silence over the matter. This shouldn’t be the case in a democratic society like Nigeria. Nigerians who bear the brunt have the precise to know.

As a newspaper, we consider that the rise within the charge for police character certificates is unacceptable and ought to be reversed forthwith. We are saying no to any charge enhance beneath no matter guise! The Nigeria Police Drive just isn’t a income producing company.

We think about the rise as an extra burden on the generality of Nigerians who’re already battling with unfavourable financial realities. The Nationwide Meeting and different related authorities should rise in defence of the Nigerian residents.

Whereas the lawmakers are on it, we discover it unpleasant that authorities and its businesses are at all times on the lookout for alternatives to place extra hardship on the folks. Even worse is the timing of such exploitative insurance policies. In different climes, and in response to the hardship on the folks because of the downturn of the financial system, governments are slicing taxes and providing their residents incentives to cushion the consequences of the onerous occasions.

We urge the police to right away revert to the previous price as this enhance is one too many. The persons are already weltering beneath the warmth of an financial system that’s as poorly managed as it’s nearly tottering.