The Federal Executive Council has approved 20 per cent upward review of the salaries of the Nigeria Police Force personnel with effect from January 2022.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed this to State House Correspondents at the end of the virtual Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.
The minister explained that the increased remuneration was a result of the demands of youths during the #EndSARS protests that rocked the country in October 2020.
Part of the demands made by the protesters was the upward review of the salaries and increased welfare for police personnel.
Dingyadi added that the approval aligned with the President’s promise to enhance police personnel’s pay as demanded by the protesters.
According to him, the increased earning is one of the ways to improve the relationship between the force and the Nigerian populace.
He said the council also approved the review of police duty tour allowance and shift allowance to six per cent, as well as the release of N1.2bn for the payment of uninsured benefits.
The minister said the sum of N13.13bn was approved for outstanding death benefits of 5,472 police personnel. He, however, stated that the payment would only commence after the Auditor General of Federation must have scrutinised and okayed it.
Dingyadi also announced a tax waiver of N18.6bn for junior police personnel.
This will not be the first time that the President is approving an increase in police salaries.
In November 2018, the President verbally approved an enhanced salary structure for the NPF and gave an assurance that his administration would continue paying attention to the welfare and operational needs of the force.
However, the directive has not led to changes in the salary structure of the police.
On her part, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said the upward review for police salaries was not captured in the 2022 Appropriations Bill, adding that the government might raise a supplementary budget, which would be sent to the National Assembly for approval.
Dingyadi said, “The Federal Executive Council, under the chairmanship of Mr President, has approved the review and upgrading of the take-home pay of police personnel in this country.
“You will recall that in October 2020, this country was rocked by the #EndSARS protests. Mr President had to address the nation and appealed for calm after which he promised Nigerians that the salaries of police officers would be reviewed and improved to enhance their take-home pay in recognition of the services that they have been rendering to this country in areas of maintenance of peace and tranquillity.
“So, the Federal Executive Council today (Wednesday) approved this proposal for the review of the salaries, which will take effect in January 2022. But we tried to avoid a situation where we deal with improving or reviewing the salary scale of police officers, but we have tried to create a situation where their take-home pay will be enhanced through the improvement of issues such as duty tour allowance, which has been reviewed to six per cent of the new take-home pay.
“Council has also approved the payment of N1,000,120,172.15 for the outstanding benefits for our personnel for an uninsured period of 2013 to August 2020 that has not been covered under the group life insurance.
“It has also approved the release of N13,127,972,269.20 for payment as outstanding death benefits of 5,472 personnel for the uninsured period of 2013 to August 2021 not covered under the group life insurance scheme. Council has also approved the payment of N1.2bn as payment for outstanding barrel expenses of personnel period of January 2012 to 2021.”
Copyright PUNCH.
