• To protest “terrible” working conditions
• March 26 set aside to carry out action
Described as “terrible” the condition under which they carry out their duties, officers of the Nigeria Police Force, NPF have fixed March 26 as a date to begin a two-week warning strike across Nigeria.
Recall the Federal Government had last year via a circular announced salary increment across board for policemen, and till date, no officer has seen any alert of such increase.
They lamented that they are treated like slaves despite their contribution to national development.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, in December last year at the end of the virtual Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, announced a 20 percent salary increase for the police.
Dingyadi explained then that the increased police personnel take-home pay by 20 percent of their present earning was one of the ways to improve the relationship between the force and the Nigerian populace.
The police officers insisted that they are going on a warning strike to protest against their poor working conditions, poor salaries, lack of genuine welfare benefits and outdated weapons.
The police officers are ready to also protest the continuous killing of their colleagues by armed robbers and terrorists, without adequate compensation for their families.
In a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, the aggrieved police officers accused the Federal Government of lying about the increment of police salary and other promised benefits.
They, however, demanded improved conditions of service, particularly salary increase and provision of modern weapons, as they tackle the security challenges facing the country.
The letter reads: “The Nigeria government lied about the increment of police salary on March 10, 2022. It has been observed with utmost dissatisfaction how the Federal Government and the Minister of Police Affairs lied to the general public about the increment of our salaries.
“It has always been discussed on every occasion that the increment would be done since the incident of the #EndSARS protest that led to the loss of many lives of the men of the force.
“More so, it has been observed by the men of the force that there’s nothing good the Federal Government would do for the police, because they had already made an announcement that they’ve increased our salary which is not true.
“With the lackadaisical attitude of the government and the Ministry of Police Affairs, it shows that there was nothing like a salary increment.
“We deserve to be treated with respect by the government as they protect almost every political personality.
“We don’t have good salaries and our gratuities are very poor compared to what’s obtainable in other parts of the world.”
The police hierarchy is worried and has accelerated the letter to the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi for his attention.
