Presidential Villa Security Staff alleges non-payment of arrears

The Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN), has urged the National Security Adviser to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Aso Villa, Abuja, to order an investigation into the reason behind the alleged and discriminatory payment, underpayment and withholding of allowances meant for the Presidential Villa security staff.

According to the coordinator of NOPRIN, Okechukwu Nwanguma, a petition from the affected security staff was received by NOPRIN after attempts by them to find out what was going on in Abuja failed.

Nwanguma said: “We urge the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to intervene and ensure a just treatment and resolution of the complaints and grumblings among many State House Security Staff over their suspicion of diversion and consequent non-payment of arrears of their Risk Caution Allowance (RCA) which was approved by the President for all State House security.”

He noted that those affected are those whose primary responsibility is to cover any Presidential movement within the South West, South South and South East, including the Vice President and visiting Presidents of foreign countries.

He further said: “The arrears of one year and three months were approved for all the State House Security Staff and payment commenced in October 2016. All the Presidential Villa Security Staff were given forms from the office of the NSA to fill for this allowance, and they all filled the Presidential Villa Security Staff Personal Data form in January and again in November 2016. However, while those at the Presidential Villa, Abuja have been receiving alerts for their paid allowance since October, their counterparts at the Lagos Unit 239, Dodan Barracks, Lagos - 63 in all- are yet to receive any payment.”

Nwanguma said that the office of the NSA is in charge of this fund, and that the affected security staff has made representations to his office without any respite. He further stated that even for those paid in Abuja, not all of them of the same rank received same amount. He said while some received as high as N1.67 million each, others received as low as N75, 000 each.

He said: “However, some of the Superior Officers, who were initially underpaid, were later paid their full allowance after they protested, but not the same for junior officers who cannot openly complain. Some of the security staff also complained of being discriminated against by being labelled 'PDP Police'.”