Police: Reps summon minister, AGF, others for not implementing salary increase

The House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs has summoned the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, over the non-implementation of the 20 per cent upward review of police salaries approved by the federal government.

Also summoned were the Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, and the Director-General of the Budget Office, Ben Akabueze.

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This followed observations by two members of the committee, Ibrahim Makama Misau, and Ahmed Abdullahi Kalambaina, over the poor working conditions of police officers and the difficulties they face to access their benefits after retirement. 

The two lawmakers made the observations after submissions by the representatives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, and the Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Musiliu Smith, at a public hearing on three bills by the committee yesterday.

The bills are, A Bill for an act to amend the Nigeria Police Act 2020 to regulate the powers of the police to promote effective collaboration between police and other security agencies and to provide for the operational framework for community policing in Nigeria; A Bill for an Act to amend the Firearms Act Cap F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 to increase fines, provide for strict prison terms and licensing fees; and a Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of the Nigeria Police Intelligence Institute, Share in Kwara State.

Misau, who said he retired in 2005 as a superintendent of police, added that he had yet to receive his benefits as a result of the difficulties in the police pension system.

Kalambaina, in his contribution, said police were facing difficulties in retirement as they could not access their benefits which he said were meagre compared to other security agents.

The chairman of the Committee, Usman Bello Kumo, who directed the clerk of the committee to send the summons, said they needed to meet with the relevant agencies to find out why the upward review of police remuneration was still not implemented.

Kumo reiterated the call to exclude the police from the envelope budget system as well as the pension scheme which, he said, had been affecting them negatively.