Aggrieved policemen say they don’t trust IG

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Policemen who are owed promotion arrears have said that they do not trust the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, concerning his promise to pay the money.

The aggrieved policemen, about 15,000 of them, have therefore reiterated their resolve to either embark on strike or disrupt the general elections of March 28 and April 11.

The affected police officers had been promoted to new ranks in December 2013 but were not paid salaries commensurate to their new ranks until January 2015.

They are therefore asking for the payment of the arrears of increase for the 13 months that the police authorities refused to pay, that is from December 2013 to December 2014.

The policemen, some of whom were promoted from the rank of sergeant to inspector and those promoted from the rank of inspector to assistant superintendent of police, had threatened to go on strike in March over non-payment of their new salaries for over a year.

Responding to the threat, Abba had also threatened to deal with any policeman involved in the planned strike, warning the police officers of the dire consequences of breaching extant rules and regulations in the Force.

In a statement containing the IG’s threat, the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, had said the police authorities were working with relevant departments and agencies to effect the payment of the promotion arrears.

But the aggrieved police officers, who spoke with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday afternoon, said they were not convinced that the IG would honour his promise to pay the arrears.

Besides, they said that Abba failed to address the issue of some of the affected police officers, who had either died or retired without enjoying the new salaries before their exit.

One of the policemen said, “Policemen are retiring everyday across the country. At least, I know about 22 of my colleagues who were promoted with me that have retired.

“Will they be asked to come and collect their own money if at all it is paid? What of those that have died and were not paid?

“Threats are good, but some of them won’t change this issue. The IG won’t be at all the polling booths during the elections. Even if we don’t go on strike, we are in the system and therefore we know how to sabotage it.”

Another officer, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said there was no way they would trust the IG, who, he said, had been enjoying his new salary since he assumed office as the police boss.

He said, “How can we trust the IG to pay our promotion arrears when he was threatening to deal with us instead of telling us when the money would be paid?

“We don’t trust him; we don’t think he is sincere about paying the promotion arrears. He’s already enjoying his new salary with other entitlements. So, he won’t know where the shoe pinches.”

The IG, who spoke through Ojukwu on Wednesday, said the aggrieved policemen would be paid as soon as the police received money from the Federal Government.

He said, “We are working hard to pay the men and I can assure you that they would be paid once the government pays us; we are waiting for the government to pay us so we can pay them.

“The welfare of officers and men of the Force is of paramount importance to the IG and he would do everything necessary to ensure their welfare.”

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Aggrieved policemen say they don’t trust IG