Nigerian Police officers have confirmed that they will boycott monitoring of the general elections due next year if they are not paid the arrears of six months' salary owed them, SaharaReporters said.
The officers are complaining that they have received only one month out of the outstanding six months' salary arrears under the police new salary structure approved by President Mohammadu Buhari and which implementation was started in July 2022 instead of January 2022.
An Assistant Superintendent of Police
blamed the Police leadership for diverting the funds already released by the government for payment of the arrears and
told SaharaReporters that if they were forcefully mobilized to monitor the 2023 elections they would not play their role as expected.
"Up till now, our six-month arrears haven’t been paid, the authorities said it is IPPIS, but IPPIS said it is the police authorities. Ongoing rumor has it that the money is missing, funny country.
“Unfortunately, the senior officers aren't saying anything serious about it because they know their pockets are always full. December is coming and junior officers need money to sort out their various personal problems," the officer said.
However, the police authorities have said that the government has yet to release the funds for payment.
A few weeks ago some aggrieved police officers threatened to boycott the 2023 general elections over unpaid arrears.
President Buhari approved a new salary structure for the Force in 2021.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has fixed February 25 and March 11 for the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
Politics and Opinion
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