In response to the planned protest by disillusioned officers from paramilitary agencies under the Ministry of Interior, the federal government has swiftly investigated the alleged salary deductions and unpaid promotion arrears affecting personnel under the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The federal government announced the planned investigation following mounting complaints and threats from Paramilitary officers under the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), who have expressed dissatisfaction over what they termed financial discrepancies.
The Ministry of Interior, through the secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Ahmed Ja’afaru, confirmed the government’s intention to probe the matter in a statement he signed on Sunday, December 1, 2024
Ja’afaru’s 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.
He said that, in response, the Minister and chairman of the Board, Hon. (Dr.) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered an immediate, comprehensive investigation and called for calm among the affected officers.
However, LEADERSHIP writes that despite the government’s assurance, some aggrieved officers who spoke to our correspondent anonymously dismissed the planned probe as a political statement.
They argued that it lacks substance and is merely an attempt to deflect from the core issues raised as the Board had severally ignored petitions written and addressed to them.
Recall that some demoralised officers and men from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), and Federal Fire Service (FFS) had recently threatened a nationwide protest over these concerns.
They criticised the IPPIS for ongoing salary discrepancies, with some officers alleging underpayment and the deliberate withholding of promotion arrears.
Some of them were quoted to have said, “IPPIS constantly victimises us. Our financial rights are denied, including promotion arrears and other entitlements.
Another officer expressed this on social media. “This month, we were severely underpaid, which 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 loans.”
In response, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) spokesman, Abubakar Umar, had clarified that protests by uniformed personnel were against regulations and urged officers to utilise proper channels for grievance redress.
Meanwhile, the NSCDC spokesman, Babawale Afolabi, revealed that the Corp’s 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, 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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