Personnel of the
Nigerian Police Force, who had been planning to embark on a national strike on
March 28, have shelved it, following promises from the police authority that
issues which are the bone of contentions would be settled after the forthcoming
March election.
For more than two weeks running,
there had been a gathering storm, as policemen began to hatch plan to embark on
a strike on March 28, which is also day for the forthcoming presidential
election.
The planned strike was due to lack
of payment of salaries and allowances arrears due to personnel who were
promoted during and after the administration of the former Inspector General of
Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar.
The present IGP, Mr. Suleiman Abba
who apparently didn’t want to be caught napping, had quickly placed a lot of
hurdles to nip it in the bud.
According to a senior police source,
different types of signals and circulars had gone round police formations,
actively checking the actions and movement of the personnel.
Even then, the wind of the impending
strike had continued to blow, until Abba was forced to send another message to
his men, promising that their salary and allowances arrears, including other
benefits owed them, would be settled immediately after the elections. The
personnel were also to expect salary increment.
The source first revealed the checks
Abba initially put in place to monitor his men, before he finally made the
promise that made them to shelve the strike.
The source said: “There was a
circular that stipulated that any policeman who comes to work must sign to show
that he had booked in for duty on that day and he must also sign out as he is
going off duty. A signal had been sent to all senior police officers that all
money due to them, would soon be paid, that they should exercise patience. The
signal stated that there was no money available for now. There was another
circular that states that our salary will soon be increased, but everything
will be after election. The police authority said that all money due to us
would be given to us.
“The Force Headquarters got
intelligence report about the impending strike and started sending the
circulars. Truly, every one of us planned to go on strike, but who would take
the first step?”
Further reports say some aggrieved
officers, who were promoted to their next ranks, from that of Sergeant and
Inspector, are affected and are protesting what they described as non-payment
of their salary arrears, which accrued between December, 2013 and January 2015.
They are said to be angry that,
their last salaries, reflected their new ranks, but did not include the
outstanding months' arrears.
However, a senior officer, who spoke
on anonymity, said the March 28 date, was strategically chosen, to nudge Abba
to address the issues.
The source said: "I think that
date was chosen to show that they are serious and to also enable well-meaning
people, to appeal to the IG and other DIGs (Deputy Inspectors General of
Police), who are members of the Police Management Team."
He further noted: "This issue
started when the former IG, M.D Abubakar, was still in office. We are praying
and hoping that their demands will be addressed, so that we don't have any
incident of strike in the force."
Another senior police officer disclosed
that this year, the promoted police personnel started receiving their new
salary scale, but the Government refused to pay the backlog of salary and
allowances for the new rank.
“They raised the alarm, asking if
government would not pay them their arrears. The situation cuts across board;
rank and files and senior police officers (SPO) are being owed arrears. The
only explanation I can see here is that the Ministry of Finance didn’t release
that money! Another reason I perceive in this scenario is the budget. It must
reflect the new salary, relating to personnel promoted. But up till now, the
budget for the first quarter for 2015 had not been released,” said the source.
In the Nigerian Constitution, police
personnel embarking on strike is regarded as mutiny and attracts death
sentence.
While many people said a police
strike will never happen in Nigeria, others, including Abba knew it could, thus
his swift reaction and responses. Abba didn’t only send signals and circulars
out, but instructed Commissioners of Police, in different states to begin
dispelling notions about an impending strike.
“There’s a mandate now that police
formations should embark on media sensitisation, dispelling news about the
impending strike,” said a police source. “The police authority is being careful
with the situation. It doesn’t want to call the impending strike bluff; because
it may it bluff and it will happen. It’ll become an embarrassment. Heads will
roll. It has happened before and can happen again.”
And the police strike of March,
2002, is also a history lesson.
Indeed, it was that fateful strike
that ushered in former IGP Mustafa Adebayo Balogun and saw to Alhaji Musiliu
Adeola Kunbi Smith taking a bow off the stage.
Smith was appointed in May 1999 and
hastily retired in March 2002 by the Olusegun Obasanjo led administration,
following a police strike.
The 2002 police strike among other
complaints was caused because the personnel demanded for better welfare. The
junior officers complained that the salary disparity between rank and file and
senior police officers was wide. There were also complaints of the personnel
buying uniforms and stationery with their money. The strike threat was called
bluff by the Smith led administration and before Smith knew what was happening,
his men went on strike.
The strike started from Calabar, by
a sergeant, championed by a corporal and soon spread across the country. A good
number of policemen stayed at home for four days before the matter was
resolved.
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