Disquiet is brewing among junior officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) as they protest the recent mandate requiring the new service uniform for participation in the upcoming promotion exams.
The mandate, seen as a prerequisite for taking the exams scheduled from Monday, July 1, 2024, to Saturday, July 6, 2024, has caused unrest among the ranks.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the core of the grievance lies in the NCoS’s failure to provide the new uniforms free of charge to junior officers contrary to their senior colleagues who received their uniforms at no cost.
This discrepancy has sparked accusations of unfairness and neglect within the service.
Several affected officers, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed their dissatisfaction.
One officer highlighted the gradual phase-out of the old uniform from 2019, which initially followed a structured plan, providing free uniforms from the Controller-General to the Chief Superintendents of Corrections.
However, this plan seems to have abruptly stopped, leaving junior officers to fend for themselves.
“The NCoS changed its uniform in 2019, and since then, there has been a gradual phase-out of the old uniform. It started with the Controller-General to the Chief Superintendents of Corrections free according to plan, and it stopped.
Now, they are forcing other officers to get the uniform from the open market,” the officer lamented.
Another officer criticised the timing of this enforcement, stating, “They always wait for promotion interview time to implement such draconian policies.
“The said uniform is not being given free as promised. It is not available in our command stores nationwide. Officers are resorting to self-help by buying in the open market. This is bad.
“The service personnel have four different uniforms, with each complete set costing a minimum of N12,000.
“In the market, a uniform costs N4,000 per trouser length, and we are using three trouser lengths for one complete uniform.”
A circular dated June 24, 2024, outlining the timetable for the third batch of the 2024 promotion examination for ranks from Inspector/Superintendent to Assistant Controller of Corrections, specifies that eligible officers must appear in the new uniforms.
This circular, signed by Assistant Controller-General of Corrections (HR), Dr. Ado Sale, has further fueled the controversy.
NCoS spokesman Abubakar Umar denied the claims, stating, “The true position of the Service is that from Level 7 (junior officers) downwards, they are not only given free uniforms but also the accoutrements and the jungle boots, while the senior officers buy their uniforms.
“The Controller-General never asked anyone to go to the open market to buy uniforms.”
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