TUC laments non-payment of police officers’ allowances, entitlements

Protest an act of treason, says Tsav
Use repatriated funds for employment, infrastructure, FG told

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has lampooned the Federal Government and the police authorities for owing police officers up to six months allowances and entitlements.It stated that an unpaid armed officer was dangerous even to himself, family, community and the society at large.

This is coming on the heels of the recent protest by officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in Maiduguri, Borno State over the non-payment of their allowances.A statement by TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary General, Comrade Musa-Lawal Ozigi, described the development as unfair and inconsiderate on government’s part to deny security officers who left their families for peace and security of the country.

“When you deny them six months allowances, what then will motivate them in the war front?, it asked.The labour union argued that the welfare of security operatives was not supposed to be taken for granted as it was done in saner climes, stressing that Nigeria had become notorious with everything that hinders growth and development.It said under no circumstance should the police force be made to suffer, especially those working in war zones.

The TUC demanded prompt payment of all entitlements due police officers, urging the Federal Government to probe the matter and punish those who caused what it described as a national embarrassment.

However, former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, has said Monday’s protest by some policemen in the Northeast was an act of treason.Tsav said this in a statement in Makurdi yesterday, stressing the need for the Federal Government to urgently address the issue, adding that the incident clearly showed that there was a dereliction of duty and inhumanity on the part of the authorities.

Meanwhile, stakeholders have urged the Federal Government to rethink its planned disbursement of recovered $322.5 million Sani Abacha loot through Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) to 302,000 households in 19 states of the country.They described the decision as cheap politicking and waste of national resources.

Speaking to The Guardian, they noted that the plan was unacceptable, especially when the nation was faced with high rate of youth unemployment, underdevelopment and infrastructure decay.

Executive Director, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CAPOL), Debo Adeniran, said the repatriated funds should be channeled into visible projects, especially in rehabilitating rural infrastructure, youth development and jobs creation.

Economist and Public Analyst, Alex Ogundadegbe, stated that before such a programme could thrive in the country, a structured security system and working database was necessary to ascertain the benefiOFFICERSciaries.