FORCE HEADQUARTERS’ CLAIM TO HAVE PAID ALL POLICEMEN ELECTION ALLOWANCES A BLATANT LIE?

By Eze Joshua

The release by the Force Headquarters, Abuja, signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stating that the Nigeria Police has paid all election allowances for all policemen regarding the last Saturday presidential and national assembly elections has been countered by Nigerian policemen.

The statement released on 4th March, conveyed that all the allowances have been paid, and that any challenge with regards to the allowance should be traced to the Deposit Money Banks, DMBs.
But swift reactions from policemen sampled by Timeswatch correspondent who importantly craved anonymity have proved otherwise, indicating that the police authorities lied and deluded the public.

According to one of them, only a certain few policemen were paid the allowance.
“In our office, only two out of seven got any allowance, despite the fact that we all faced torturous experiences executing the election duty in a fully charged polity.
“Our authorities are fond of suppressing and frustrating us because they think nobody can talk.
“Since I joined the force, even leave allowances are never paid. Anyone who goes on leave goes without allowances.
“Too sad, though provisions are on ground to grant policemen free uniforms and other paraphernalia for work, we all cough out as much as 50, 000 naira individually to ensure that we appear appreciable, an amount that equate my salary”, the respondent noted.

Against these submissions and that of others who also contributed in similar vein, but with pleas never to be mentioned, the authorities have much to do in the direction of demystifying the situation, especially as the lamenting policemen also submitted that they have approached the banks for the money but were told that there was no money, emphasizing that not even police bank has a trace of the said lodgements.
In view of the fact that many policemen have refuted the claim of the police authority, a lot needs to be done to ensure that the police officers get whatever is due to them.
The factor behind the non payment must be detected and addressed before the gubernatorial election slated for Saturday, 11th March, 2023.

This becomes necessary as a good welfare package is instrumental to efficiency in a country already almost overwhelmed by by criminal elements.
More so, ensuring the payment of all benefits and salaries as at when due has the capacity to build confidence and spirit of enviable service.
It will also eradicate the situation whereby policemen resort to begging and worshipping of those who offer them money, those who naturally should honour them as law enforcement personnel.

The cries of policemen over maltreatment brings to question, the bold submission by the authority that the Force prioritizes the welfare of men and officers, and renders totally suspicious, the portion of the March 4th release, declaring that the Force had disbursed all allowances relating to the presidential and parliamentary elections of Feb 25th, 2023 through the effectiveness of its Account and Budget office.

Attempts to reach the F-PPRO for comments before filing this report proved abortive as he did not take his calls.