Some policemen attached to the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Monday tackled the Nigeria Police Force headquarters for denying that they were being owed their Risk Caution Allowances by the Presidency since 2015.
The policemen said the Force Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, was “being economical with the truth” and the police authorities must invite those responsible for the non-payment.
Our correspondent had exclusively reported on Sunday that no fewer than 53 policemen being owed the allowances, and 127 others partly paid, wrote an anonymous petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to look into the matter.
In the petition titled, “President Muhammadu Buhari’s mobile policemen plead over unpaid Risk Caution Allowances from May 2015 to date,” the affected policemen said they had been helpless over the past two years.
A source at the Presidency had said police authorities should be blamed for the non-payment of the RCAs of some of their men posted to the Presidential Villa.
He had explained that the problem was caused by the police authorities, who he said, kept posting more men into the Presidential Villa than the number that could be catered for.
The Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Monday, however, denied the incident in a release by the FPRO, noting that such policemen did not exist in the Presidency.
Moshood said, “The Force wishes to categorically state that salaries and allowances of police personnel across ranks throughout police formations, departments and detachments including those attached to the Presidential Villa are being paid as and when due and on time. Special and ad hoc duties allowances are also promptly paid on completion of such duties.
“There was no time that policemen in the Villa protested over any issue relating to payment of allowances or whatsoever. Also, no senior police officer in the Villa or anywhere else mismanaged or infringed on payment of allowances meant for personnel serving in the Villa. No police personnel serving in the Villa have complained officially or otherwise of unpaid allowance since 2015.”
But one of the affected policemen, who could not be named for security reason, told our correspondent on Monday that the Force Headquarters was being “economical with the truth.”
The policeman said, “The Force PRO is being economical with the truth. He is not telling the truth at all. To be very sincere with you, some policemen are being owed. That is why we put names in the petition. The indicted personnel should be invited and questioned before any denial.”
Another policeman said, “The payment of allowances does not affect the Department of State Services personnel; it is only us, mobile policemen. Apart from us, there are some new 300 policemen who have been mobilised but have also not been paid.”
PUNCH
