The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has debunked the rumour of planned strike as reported by some news media.
According to NPF, the alleged planned strike, which was to start March 26, 2022, as reported by some news publication, is a “mischievous attempt by unscrupulous individuals to bring the Force to disrepute, misinform the general public, and heat up the polity.”
The Force Acting Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement said, “it is pertinent to restate that the Nigeria Police Force is a regimented and disciplined organization with laid down rules and guidelines for addressing grievances, and in no circumstance is a strike action one of such means.”
Spokesman Adejobi continued in the statement that,
“The men and women of the Nigeria Police Force are fully aware that a strike action or other deliberate disruption of law enforcement services by any security organization is mutinous, and the personnel of the Force would not degenerate at any point to that level of disloyalty and indiscipline, as policing services are paramount and essential in the maintenance of orderliness and peace in the nation.”
He further emphasized that,
“… the IGP is accelerating efforts to ensure the full implementation of the increment of salaries and allowances proposed by the President and approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC)”; adding that, “… it was the President’s initiative, without any demand from the Police, to direct the process of increasing salaries and allowances.”
Adejobi assured that, “The Federal Government is therefore fully committed to the implementation of the new salary package.”
He reiterated that,
“Since that approval, the Salaries and Wages Commission, has issued an implementation circular,” and that “the Honorable Minister of Police Affairs and the IGP, have been working with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), to ensure the stoppage of tax deductions as directed by the President, and approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC)”
The Police spokesperson again confirmed that, the Inspector-General of Police is committed to ensuring that “police officers under his leadership are well motivated with the ongoing reforms, especially in the provision of kits, accoutrements, body armor, the cooperative society’s housing scheme, the renovation of training schools, upgrade of police training curriculum, procurement and deployment of technology to boost ICT-driven policing.”
CSP Adejobi afterwards stressed that, the IGP is committed to seeing that, the NPF “… discharge its duties to the nation as expected;” and again, “renew its commitment to ensuring public safety of all Nigerians.”