Police personnel grumble over non-payment of salaries

Many police personnel serving in Kaduna State complained yesterday of not having been paid for two months while some who said they were paid alleged that they received sums lower than their regular salaries.

The affected personnel grumbled either over the non-payment of their August and September salaries or ‘unexplained deductions’ in their paid salaries.

The over 2000 affected personal cutting across the rank and file of the command, gathered in front of the Salaries Office inside the command headquarters in Kaduna to inquire about their salaries.

While addressing the affected personnel, the state Commissioner of Police, Agyole Abeh, said the delay in payment was not the fault of the police and appealed for restraint, and asked the police personnel to conduct themselves in accordance to the laws guiding engagement.

Some of the officers accused the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, of not letting President Muhammadu Buhari to know the exact situation regarding the irregularities in the payment of the police salaries. “She already lied to Mr President that all is well. How can you fight corruption and you don’t pay police their two months salaries,” an officer asked.

One of those who alleged that their salaries were being deducted and no explanation was given, said, “Imagine, last month I was paid N16, 000 and this month, over N30, 000 was deducted from my salary.”

Daily Trust however reports that normalcy has since returned and the policemen have been assured of the payment of their salaries.

And the Nigeria Police Force headquarters which responded to media reports regarding the development in Kaduna, said yesterday that salaries of police their personnel across ranks throughout the 36 states and Abuja and all other Police Formations were being paid regularly.

The police spokesman CSP Jimoh Moshood said, “It is not correct that police personnel protested anywhere in the country because of non-payment of salary as reported in some media today 9th October, 2017 or at any other time.”

He added, “Few policemen who went on inquiry to the Mechanized Salary Section (MSS) in Kaduna State Police Command over complaint of underpayment, omission of their names on the salary payroll was a result of the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) handled by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.”

He added that their inquiry was immediately attended to and addressed by the Officer in Charge of the Mechanized Salary Section (MSS), Kaduna State Command in the early hours of yesterday.