Police Protest Non-Payment Of Salary In Ekiti

Some personnel of the Nigerian Police force deployed to Kogi State from Ekiti state police command for the conduct of the November 16 , 2019 Gubernatorial election have expressed displeasure over alleged refusal of the authorities to pay their allowances.

The policemen, numbering 225, said that their names were allegedly written out on the list of those that were due for payment despite risking their lives day and night to ensure adequate security during that volatile election.

They said that it was appalling and shocking that the police authorities have refused to pay them a month after the election, while others have received theirs, which gave room for suspicion that the fund must have allegedly been embezzled by some high ranking police officers at the state or zonal level.

A sources said a sum of N90,000 were paid for senior officers above Sergeant rank, while their men within the rank and file got N40,000, revealing that most of the victims were the lower cadre policemen.

A Sergeant, who spoke on behalf of the aggrieved policemen, said : “Two batches were deployed for the election in Ekiti. The Ekiti Command was expected to mobilise 500 policemen, but there was a shortfall.

“The police Commissioner , Mr Asuquo Amba, deployed 300 policemen about 10 days to the election. When there were complaints, another 150 were drafted to Kogi on the order of the CP five days to the election.

“Our investigation indicated that half of those who were deployed from Ekiti, numbering over 200, were excluded from payroll.

“We were curious to ask why must we be excluded from benefiting from the payments after discharging the national assignment?

“You could all attest to the fact that the Kogi Governorship election was the most volatile and tension-soaked in recent times. We risked our lives for the success of the poll only for us to be paid this way.

“We appeal to the Inspector General of police, Mr. Adamu to investigate this matter and mete out proper punishment to whoever culpable. Those behind this are the ones responsible for the bad image in the Force”, he stated.

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But Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr. Sunday Abutu, denied the allegation.

The Police spokesperson said all the entitlements due to the police that were deployed for the Kogi election had been paid.