Police officers who are currently being owed 13 months’ salary arrears have threatened to boycott the coming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had fixed November 21 and December 5, 2015 for Kogi and Bayelsa states respectively.
It was learnt that the policemen are particularly angry as the police authorities had concluded arrangements to send some junior officers on course when the arrears were yet to be paid.
One of the policemen who is an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said, “We know that there is corruption in the Force, but how can someone sit on our 13 months 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 short-changed 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. We may boycott the elections if things continue like this.”
The aggrieved officers are made up of officers who were lifted 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.
Fifteen of the affected policemen, who met with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Monday, said they were promoted since December 2013, but that the police authorities 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 in January but that the 13 months arrears weren’t included.
One of them said, “Since December 2013 when we were promoted and the letters which were given to us indicated that we were to enjoy the benefits accrued to our new rank from the date of our promotion, nothing has been done about it.
“We waited to be paid throughout last year, but they did not pay us. They said the money was not yet released and that it was not budgeted for.
“In January this year, they paid us the new salaries commensurate with our new ranks. But they have refused to pay the arrears for 13 months. It may afect the forthcoming elections because we are not happy.”
On whether they had reported their grievance to their superiors, one of them said “They know. We asked our Divisional Police Officers, but they could not give any satisfactory answers. They usually tell us that they were also being short-changed and that we should not complain to them.”
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Hashimu Argungu, had in a signal sent to all police commands on June 16, 2015, said corporals due to be promoted to the rank of sergeant should proceed on a six-week course.
The training is to take place in police colleges and police training schools across the nation.
The details of Argungu’s signal received by the police commands throughout the country had a reference number: CB. 2300.DTD. FHQ.ABJ. VOL. 18.6 DATED 16, June 2015.”
The signal also said that those with additional qualifications from ordinary national diploma and above, should go for documentation.
The documentation, according to investigations by one of our correspondents, would be followed by interview.
But more than 15,000 police officers promoted in December 2013, said there was no need for the police authorities to order a fresh promotion exercise when those that were promoted had yet to be paid their new salaries.
Before he was sacked by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, had promised to look for more money to pay the aggrieved police officers.
The officers had threatened to sabotage the last general elections.
In his reaction, the IG, Mr. Solomon Arase, said the arrears of salaries of the affected officers were being expected from the Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance.
The IG, who spoke through the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, said all those who were promoted had started enjoying their new salaries.
He said, “All promoted personnel in 2013 till date are enjoying the new salaries commensurate with their ranks.
“The last batch of 2013 started enjoying their new salaries in January 2014. Those promoted in 2014 started enjoying theirs since January 2015.
“The arrears, that’s the difference between their old and new salaries for 2013 (Oct -Dec) and the arrears only for those of 2014 are still being awaited from the Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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