The Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’Foundation (HURIDE) has called on the Federal Government to strive to improve the salary structure and the general welfare of officers and men of the NIgerian Police.
The Delta and Edo State chapters of the HURIDE made the call Thursday during the interaction with newsmen in Asaba, Delta State capital.
The South South zone chairman of HURIDE, Comrade Anthony Asakitikpi, who addressed newsmen in company of other officers and members of the group decried the poor wages and welfare of the Police in NIgeria.
He said the NIgerian Police personnel are suffering , noting that a constable earns N50, 000.00 as his/her take home pay.
He said there is no overtime allowance, risk allowance, befitting office, barracks, and no Divisional Police in the country has state of the art office to allow their officers and men to carry out their duties without difficulties.
Asakitikpi lamented that no Police Command in the country has modern security gadgets such as drones to detect crimes and criminals and no Police Division has CCTV installed in their divisional offices.
He also frowned at a situation where officers and men have turned mango trees into their offices because they don’t have offices,
saying that the few offices they have were overcrowded with only few tables and chairs.
HURIDE boss: “It is pathetic that Nigeria officers and men of NIgerian Police are buying their uniforms, shoes and others for themselves.They escort bullion vans without bullet proof jackets.
They mount road blocks without adequately being armed. The families of most of them who lost their lives in active service are not well taken care of.”
He also said there are dearth of operational vehicles in almost all the Divisional Headquarters of NIgerian Police in the country and even the few ones available are in poor condition.
In the face of these challenges, said HURIDE boss, NIgerians still want Police men to perform magic, when the Federal Government failed to adequately equip them.
“Remember these people are people’s children. They are also bread winners of their respective families. We hereby call on Federal Government to as a matter of national interest increase their salary and initiate special incentives to boost their morale for optimal performance,” he said.
Asakitikpi said this poor welfare for the Police might have accounted for the massive bribery, extortion and generally corruption thriving in the Police.
He said that the checkpoints were set up again not to checkmate crimes but for extortion, intimidation and harassment of ordinary citizens,
The South South zone chairman asked that the Nigerian Police should be equipped with modern arms, ammunition, gadgets and bullet proof jackets.
He also called for adequate provision of uniforms, shoes, and other items for them like their counterparts in other climes
