10,000 Police Constables Not Paid Six-Month Salaries

By Idowu Maryam

About 10,000 constables recruited into the Nigeria Police Force have not been paid salaries for the past six months, The Breaking Times learnt.

The officer passed out of the police training institutions since April.

One of the constables who confined to our source said that the development has weakened their morale, making it difficult for them to meet their responsibilities to their families.

The Police Service Commission said that it will start give out appointment letters and approve their capturing into the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System for the payment of their salaries and allowances if the recommendations of the screening committee is approved during its plenary meeting holding (Wednesday) today.

An official said that the meeting would first approve the recommendation of the screening committee before giving the permission for the issuance of appointment letters which would enable the constables to be captured on the IPPIS platform for the payment of their unpaid salaries.

A senior officer condemned the delayed payment, saying that the constables might be surviving on bribes.

“They have been working since May but they have not been paid till date. In other words, many of them have probably been surviving on extortion and corruption,”.

Most of the senior members of the force had not also been paid their November salaries.

Senior officers confirmed to punch correspondent that they had not been paid, and that the junior officers who earned small salaries were at “the receiving end of government wickedness.”

Frank Mba, The force spokesman was yet to respond to calls seeking his on side to the situation as at the time of filling this report.