Policemen, who were promoted in May last year, have complained about their unpaid promotion allowances. Our correspondent learnt that the affected policemen made representations to the police leadership about the issue without getting any positive response.
It was learnt on Saturday that many of the affected officers, who are Assistant Superintendents of Police and Deputy Commissioners of Police, were still being paid their old salaries. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a DSP said, “We were promoted in May last year, but till date, we are still being paid our old salaries and allowances. The only indicator of our elevation is the new ranks we are wearing, but the benefits accruing have not reflected in our bank accounts or living standards.” An angry Assistant Superintendent of Police complained that some of his colleagues were being paid N61,000, with others earning N71,000, instead of N110,000 they were entitled to.
She explained that several visits to the Accountant General of the Federation office in Abuja by the affected officers had failed to yield any results as the officials blamed paucity of funds and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System enrollment for the delayed payment.
The source said, “We were at the AGF’s office on December 28, 2018, and we were informed that there was no money to pay our allowances. “We want the AGF and the Commissioner of Police in charge of Budget to explain to the world why we have not been paid our promotion allowances.
“Some ASPs are being paid N61,000, some are earning N71,000 without explanation from the authorities.” Meanwhile, the police have also failed to pay the allowances of 139 policemen who returned from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali last year.
The officers were part of the Formed Police Unit which served in Timbuktu from October 2017 to September 2018, and participated in the Malian Presidential elections in July. They said they were initially paid seven months’ allowances out of the 13 months they were entitled to, while the soldiers who were part of the peacekeeping mission were paid their full allowances before they departed Mali for Nigeria in October last year.
But following a report by The PUNCH on November 28 last year, the policemen said they were paid additional three months, claiming, however, that they were short-changed by the Department of Peacekeeping, which they allegedly made illegal deductions from their $1,600 monthly allowances.
The Force Public Relations Officer, acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, said the promotion allowances were being paid in batches, denying that the force was owing any policemen. On the Mali peacekeepers’ allowances, he claimed the UN had not paid the police, adding that the 139 officers would be paid as soon as the world body settled their bill. Sahara Reporters
Pix: Some Nigerian policemen on duty
