Over 15,000 police officers have threatened to either go on
strike or disrupt the March 28 and April 11 general elections over their unpaid
salaries.
The aggrieved officers were those promoted from the rank of
sergeant to the rank of Inspector and those promoted from the rank of Inspector
to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, in December 2013.
The policemen claimed that they were promoted since December
2013, but that the police authorities had refused to pay them their new
salaries.
They said that after waiting for the police authorities for
over a year, they were surprised that they were paid their new salaries with
the January 2015 salaries, wondering why the money meant for the 13 months was
not included.
One of them told Punch that, “We were promoted in December
2013 and the letters which were given to us indicated that we were to enjoy the
benefits accruing to our new rank from the date of our promotion.
“We waited to be paid throughout last year, which was 2014.
They didn’t pay us, saying that the money was not yet released.
“In January this year, they paid us the new salary that was
commensurate with our new ranks. But they have refused to pay the areas for the
13 month.”
Another officer, who is an ASP, said, “We know that there is
corruption in the Force, but how can someone sit on our 13th month salaries and
would expect us to keep quiet?
“Elections are coming. They said we should be neutral. How
can we be neutral when we are being shortchanged by our bosses and the country?
“We want to be paid or else there would be crisis during the
elections. This is the time for us to shout so that Nigerians would know what
we are passing through.”
The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu,
said though he had not been briefed about the issue, he nevertheless promised
that their grievances would be looked into and addressed.
“I have not heard of
the report, but we will look into their grievances and address them,” he said.
-http://dailypost.ng/
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