Emerging report indicates that despite the efforts made by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Usman Baba, to stop the Junior Police Officers in the country from going on an earlier announced strike action, the Officers have announced March 26, 2022, as the date of their planned strike, if their demands are not immediately met.
According to an open letter addressed to the IGP, the Officers said that they would not accept any salary below N100,000, monthly.
They decried the fact that a Level 3 Officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, reportedly receives N280,000 monthly, while a Police Constable receives just N45,700 monthly.
Also, they said that a Level 8 Officer of the EFCC goes home with over N490,000 every month, but a Police Inspector with many years of experience is being paid N109,200 as monthly salary.
They wondered why they are being treated like slaves, even when they protect the lives of other Nigerians with their own lives.
The letter to the IGP partly reads: “Sir, are you aware of the suffering your Officers are exposed to? Many of us cannot afford 3-square meals per day. Some cannot send their children to School without bribes. Go to the Barracks, you will see the slums where those Officers that escort you around sleep.
“Sir, the least constable, who pays house rent, electricity bills, feeds himself and his family still earns about N47,000 in a month. Tell me how such a constable will not extort members of the public?
“We know how much the Senators, House of Representatives Members, Governors, and others we protect day and night earn monthly, yet we do not misbehave; but do not forget that a hungry man is an angry man.”
Speaking further, the aggrieved Officers stated that they would embark on the purported strike: “If Constables earn less than N100,000 monthly; if we continue to buy kits for ourselves; if our promotions are delayed without reason, while you give those that serve in IGP SEC special promotions; if our men continue to die without compensation for their families; if the Federal Government continues to expose our men to danger, by not providing weapons to combat crime.”
Recall, that the IGP, as a way of stopping the planned strike, earlier ordered the implementation of the new salary structure for the Officers, the stoppage of tax for Policemen, the distribution of accoutrements and others.
However, the aggrieved Officers said that they have seen the signal, but added: “It is unfortunate, we do not believe your story on the salary increment; ‘no be today’.
“We believe in industrial action as the way forward to our problems, and the only solution to our yearnings.
“Therefore, we are still interested in embarking on the planned strike on the 26th of March, 2022, as earlier scheduled.”
More news later…
