Nigerian Government Yet To Increase Police Welfare As Promised

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Despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to reform the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), which includes increasing the salaries and improving the welfare of police personnel, nothing has been done.


The country had witnessed days of #EndSARS protests aimed at putting a stop to police brutality and comprehensively reforming the force.
The demands of the protesters had included increment in the salaries of police officers, which the government promised to address.


But about two months after, a top source in the police force told SaharaReporters that nothing had been done by the government regarding the demands of the protesters to improve the welfare of police personnel.
The source, however, revealed that efforts were already in place to implement a new salary structure following a recent directive by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, which he described as different from outright salary increment.
According to the source, the new structure is being prepared by the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS).


He said, “The new salary structure that we have now was prepared by IPPIS. A police constable earns nothing less than N40, 000. Then, as regards the promises made so far after the #EndSARS saga, we’ve not seen anything.


“But we strongly believe that some things are in the pipeline. The IGP has gone round most of the states, which I’m aware of and he mentioned that the welfare packages of police officers were being looked into alongside the salary structure, starting from himself down to the least police constable. We are hoping that by January, we’ll see the difference in the salary structure.


“All these things involve some processes; we believe once they implement it, there will be some arrears. Let’s hope by January, we will see some changes.
“The IPPIS is to prepare the new salary structure for the police. We have MSS (Mechanised Salary Section), MSS, which used to be used for the police salary before IPPIS came. IPPIS and MSS are working hand in hand now.


“Actually, when IPPIS came, there were some deductions. I think it happened in other sectors too like in the military. There were some deductions but after that, some amounts of money were added to the salaries, maybe N2, 500 or so, I can’t even remember.”
The source dismissed claims that there was an increment in the salary of police officers, explaining that what happened was adjustment in salary.


He added: “There was a salary adjustment for police officers, not salary increment. There was a rumour at a time that the salaries of police personnel had been increased. There was no increment, it was an adjustment in salary structure that was done. They are two different things.


“There was adjustment in salary structure. In the ministry, they don’t have levels but we do; we have level 11 up to 17. There was an adjustment in that structure to suit what the Department of State Services is using; to balance it up, just like an equivalent.
“For a newly recruited Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), before now, they used to be on Level 8 but now, they are put on Level 9 due to that structure adjustment. Level 9 for unconfirmed ASP, level 10 for confirmed ASP, a Deputy Superintendent of Police is on Level 11, and a Superintendent of Police is on Level 12.


“There was an adjustment in the structure not salary increment. Though indirectly, once there is an adjustment in structure, your salary will also increase but the salary for that particular level remains. But once there is a minimum wage adjustment, the salary for that level will increase.”

Credit: SaharaReporters




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