In response to the planned protest by the aggrieved officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), and Federal Fire Service (FFS), under the Ministry of Interior, the federal government has swiftly ordered an investigation into the alleged salary deductions and unpaid promotion arrears of the personnel through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The federal government announced the planned investigation following mounting complaints and threats from the affected paramilitary officers, who have expressed dissatisfaction over the development.
The Ministry of Interior, through the secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Ahmed Ja’afaru, confirmed the federal government’s intention to probe the matter in a statement he personally signed on Sunday, December 1, 2024
The statement emphasised that the Ministry’s attention was drawn to numerous complaints and threats regarding salary deductions and delays in the payment of promotion arrears through IPPIS.
He said in response, the Minister and chairman of the Board, Hon. (Dr.) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered an immediate, comprehensive investigation and has also called for calm among the affected officers.
However, LEADERSHIP reports that despite the government’s assurance, some of the aggrieved officers, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, have dismissed the planned probe as a mere political statement.
They argued that it lacked substance and was merely an attempt to deflect from the core issues raised as the Board had severally ignored petitions written and addressed to it.
Recall that some demoralised officers and men from the NCoS, NSCDC, NIS, and FFS, had recently threatened a nationwide protest over the concerns. They criticised the IPPIS platform for ongoing salary discrepancies, with some officers alleging underpayment and the deliberate withholding of their promotion arrears.
Some of them were quoted to have said, “We are constantly victimised by IPPIS. Our financial rights are denied, including promotion arrears and other entitlements.”
Another officer expressed on social media. “This month, we were severely underpaid, and it feels intentional.”
Another officer noted the unpredictability of their monthly salaries, saying, “Some months, I earn less than someone with a lower rank, and I haven’t taken any loan.”
In response, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) spokesman, Abubakar Umar, had clarified that protests by uniformed personnel were against regulations, and urged aggrieved officers to utilise proper channels to redress their grievances.
Meanwhile, the spokesman for the NSCDC, Babawale Afolabi, had revealed that the Corps Commandant-general, Dr. Abubakar Ahmed Audi, had already addressed the issue, promising that all problems related to salary deductions would be resolved by the end of the month.
Additionally, earlier, the spokesman from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, was also quoted to have said that promotion arrears were being processed in batches due to funding availability.
He also noted that the salary deductions cited by the officers were standard, covering areas like pension remittances, income tax, and association dues.
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