The Nigeria Police Force has said it
will soon settle all outstanding
allowances of policemen,
particularly those at the warfront
combating Boko Haram in different
parts of the North-East.
The police said everything was
being done to ensure that salaries
and other allowances were paid as
at and when due.
The Force Public Relations Officer,
Emmanuel Ojukwu, who spoke on
behalf of the Inspector General of
Police, Suleiman Abba, said this in
response to questions regarding
the non-payment of the allowances
of anti-riot policemen who were
fighting the Boko Haram insurgents
in Yobe State.
One Fatai Azeez, had written a
letter to The Punch, complaining
that the allowances and
entitlements of policemen fighting
in Yobe had not been paid since
they were deployed in the state
from various stations.
In the letter, Azeez said they had
resorted to begging for food in
Damaturu and its environs.
He said, “We have not been paid
our allowances since our arrival
from various stations across the
country. As a result, we move daily
from compound to compound in
Damaturu and its environs, begging
for food.
“Sadly, no provision was made for
our accommodation before our
deployment to the state resulting
in our sleeping in uncompleted
buildings while some stay under
trees.”
But Ojukwu told our correspondent
over the telephone on Tuesday,
that the IGP was aware of the
hardship being faced by the
policemen and had directed that
the payment process should be
fast-tracked.
Asked why the policemen were not
paid before their deployment to
Yobe, the FPRO said the procedure
was that the personnel must report
at their new station before their
allowances could be paid.
He said, “They will soon be paid,
the payment is being worked out.
The procedure is that the
policemen must report to their
new station before they are paid
their allowances.”