Police officers in Akwa Ibom State have raised concerns about unpaid salary arrears, prompting them to seek intervention from the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
On Thursday, a group of police inspectors, representing the Concerned Police Inspectors in Nigeria, visited the Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Uyo to voice their grievances. They complained about not receiving their salary arrears for the past eleven months.
The leader of the delegation, who asked to remain anonymous, said their morale in fighting crime has been affected by the lack of attention to their welfare. “We are over 1,500 personnel of the Nigeria Police Force in Akwa Ibom Command, promoted from Inspector II to Inspector I,” he explained. “Despite receiving confirmation letters, we are still being paid as junior inspectors.”
In their appeal letter addressed to IGP Egbetokun, and copied to the presidency, National Assembly, and Police Service Commission, they detailed their situation. “We are uncomfortable with this inhuman treatment. We can no longer feed our families or pay their bills due to the high cost of essential items,” the letter read. “The shortfall in our salaries is over N550,000 each.”
The letter also highlighted issues with the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, which has been returning their vouchers without processing payment. “We ask: between our IGP and the Police authority, who should take matters of our welfare more seriously?” they questioned.
The officers noted that since IGP Egbetokun took office, there has been no payment to match their promotions. “The only signal we have been receiving from Abuja is about dressing codes,” they said. “What are we going to use to buy the uniforms if our due salaries have not been paid?”
An Inspectorate Confirmation of Appointment letter from Commissioner of Police in charge of welfare, Rose Chollom Dung, congratulated the officers on their promotion but did not address the issue of unpaid salaries.
