Over 480 Police officers Protest ‘Non Payment’ Of Salaries In Osun

….,…No fewer than 480 youths recruited as constabularies into the Nigeria Police to assist in maintaining security in Osun State on Wednesday protested non payment of salaries.

The protesters who stormed strategic areas like Oke fia, Akindeko/Alekuwodo terminated the protest at the popular Olaiya Flyover following the intervention of the police Commissioner, Olawale Olokode.

The agreived Constabularies called on the government to “pay our 18 months salaries since the completion of training in May 2021”.

The protesters complained that they have not been paid any salary since the completion of their training in May 2021.

The protesters harmed themselves with placards with various inscription such as “Pay our salary now” , Okada rider are sleeping with our wives”, “Pay us our 18months salary”, pay us “Our Stipends And Allowances”, “18 month without kobo” among others.

The agreived police Constabularies lamented that tricycle and bike riders have taken snatched their wives due to their inability to take care of their wives and Children.

Speaking with newsmen, Constable Tijani Adewale who expressed his grief said despite the fact that they have not been paid they were really committed to duties saying no few than three Constabularies have lost their lives in the course of discharging their duties.

,,,,,According to him, “We have gone to the local government, honourables and dignitaries and yet nothing is done.

“We lost three Persons in ikire and one in Iree. These people died in the course of discharging their duty. We are very dutiful despite the fact that we have not been paid a dime. Due to unpaid allowances, tricycle and Okada riders have snatched our wives because of inability to take care of them.

Addressing the protesters, the Commissioner of Police, Adewale Olokode ordered them to stop the protest with immediate effect just as he assured them that the authority in charge would see to their matter.

….“You are embarrassing the force with your protest, you should have channeled your grievances to the appropriate quarters . Is just like you are disturbing public peace with your protests.

“As far as you are wearing this uniform we expect you to maintain high level of discipline as a force men”.

Meanwhile, the Area Command, ACP Kayode Ayilara who had earlier arrived the scene urged the constabularies to suspends the protest saying it’s embarrassing and uncalled seeing them protesting in uniform.

….Ayilara said the protesting Constabularies ought to have channeled their grievances to the appropriate quarters instead of disturbing the public peace.

Similarly some police officers under the Osun State Command equally complain to newsmen that they were yet to be paid their own duty allowance for the coverage of the Osun July 16, governorship election, almost two months after the election.

…..The officers who spoke, anonymously, to newsmen, stated that about 140 officers from the State Investigation Bureau (SIB), 30 from Explosive Ordinance Disposal ( EOD ), and about 160 Mobile police officers of MOPOL 39 have not been paid.

One of the officers said, all other police offices, deployed for the election coverage had received their allowances, including those deployed from outside the state.

…….He said they have made efforts to find out the reason for the non-payment and they have not gotten any concrete feed back from the force headquarters.

He said it would be against the code of service to protest in demand for the allowance put appealed to the Inspector General of Police to look into their case.

…….Another officer said those mainly not paid are officers who are attached to the Osun Police Command but administratively handled by the force headquarters in Abuja.

He said all the police officers on General Operation in the state (wearing uniform) that covered the election had been given their allowances , saying reason for their non-payment is not clear to them.

,,,,,,,,,He therefore called on the Inspector General of Police investigate the delay payment, as well as calling on the president to help look into why there was discrimination in payment of the duty allowance.