By Blessed Mudiaga Adjekpagbon
An aggrieved police officer has cried to the attention
of Bulkybon Periscopes, about what he calls “injustice
and robbery perpetrated by some powers that be in the Nigeria Police”
organization against him and other junior officers. During his chat with Bulkybon Periscopes, he said “Police officers that are promoted from one level to
another were usually owed three months salaries arrears of their previous rank
while processing the documents for their new ranks. When they finish the
process of clarification to their new rank, the outstanding salaries will then
be paid in bulk as soon as they complete the process, and occupy their new
positions.
“It is the difference between the salaries of your old
rank and the new rank they failed to offset. Those promoted in 2018 from
Sergeants to Inspectors have no issues as theirs have been paid, while the
older ones 2014-2014 and 2015-2016 were partially left out. Salaries arrears of
10 months, 6 months and 3 months as at the month of promotion are still not yet
paid.
“They paid 2013 and 2014 but omitted some and promised
to pay since 2017 Feb. But have not paid arrears for 2015 and 2016. Only paid
2017, but went ahead to pay 2018.
“Some of us went to the Mechanized Salary Section
(MSS) to find out why some were paid and some are yet to be paid till date. It
was then we were informed that an order from above has stopped the payment of
such outstanding salaries arrears.”
He also added that upon visiting the Police
Budget Planning Board in Abuja as directed by the MSS, he and other affected
officers were told by the officers in charge that they were instructed to start
paying only those promoted in 2018 and leave those that are still outstanding
from the aforementioned years. He informs that a lot of officers promoted
between 2014 and 2016 are yet to be paid the difference between their old and
new salaries arrears, and were reliably informed that some powers that be
within the police organization might have pocketed their money. He also
disclosed that there are irregularities in the police institution with the way
some officers are being promoted.
“If you are a Sergeant, you will be asked to
pay between N150,000 to N200,000 to get promoted to Inspector. If you are an
Inspector and wants to be promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP),
you will be asked to pay N500,000, depending on the connection you have,” he lamented.
He posits that this type of dubious act of promotion has been causing serious crisis within the police profession in Nigeria, as some hitherto junior officers that were able to pay the said sum were promoted and became superiors to their previous bosses. He therefore wants the new Inspector General of Police to look into the issue of the unpaid salaries arrears of all affected promoted officers and the promotion racket that has turned the police into a kind of business cartel.
He posits that this type of dubious act of promotion has been causing serious crisis within the police profession in Nigeria, as some hitherto junior officers that were able to pay the said sum were promoted and became superiors to their previous bosses. He therefore wants the new Inspector General of Police to look into the issue of the unpaid salaries arrears of all affected promoted officers and the promotion racket that has turned the police into a kind of business cartel.
