Some
security operatives attached to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, are currently
groaning under heavy debts as a result of the stoppage of their special
allowance referred to as the Risk Cautious Allowance, it has been revealed.
Under
former President Goodluck Jonathan, all the security agents enjoyed the
allowance up until March, 2015, while his administration left those of April
and May, 2015, unpaid.
The security officers include those of the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Intelligence Agency, the Federal Road Safety Commission and the Fire Service among others.
Some
of the security operatives, who spoke on condition of
anonymity on Tuesday, lamented that they had not been able to meet their
various financial obligations because of the development.
They
said despite this, authorities of the Presidential Villa kept introducing
additional security measures that further tasked them daily.
A
policeman said that because of the non-payment of the
allowance, some policemen, who could no longer afford increasing transport
fares, had converted their beats to temporary homes.
“It
is not easy! We can no longer cope with the increase in transport fare.
Policemen are now passing the night at their beats. In the evening, you can go
to Gate 4 and 5 among other spots in the Villa to confirm this,” he said.
Another
operative, a soldier, said they were feeling the brunt of the non-payment of
the allowance more because most of them were junior officers who collected far
less than N50,000 monthly as salary.
“I
could not pay the school fee of my daughter last term. Another term is starting
soon. Most of us are junior officers with less than N50,000 as salary. We
always augment our salary with this small allowance but they have denied us of
it,” he lamented.
Another
security operative said it was not fair for the authorities to remain silent in
the face of the growing disquiet over the issue.
He
said the right thing to do was for them to address the operatives on efforts
being made to pay them and when the payment would be done.
He
added that the last they heard on the matter was when the National Security
Adviser, Babagana Monguno, directed all operatives in the Presidential Villa to
fill some forms running into about five pages.
He
said not satisfied with the arrangement, heads of about two security agencies
asked their men not to fill the forms.
He
added, “Even if the idea was to ascertain that we are truly working in the
Villa, I believe that photocopies of our identity tags should be enough for the
exercise?
“How
can the NSA ask that we should be filling forms that run into about five pages
and yet, there is still nothing to show for it?
“If
the Permanent Secretary of the State House can collect our account details and
he paid N15,000 to us in lieu of Easter rice and other items within two weeks,
what is delaying the NSA from paying our allowance?
“These
are people who keep introducing new security measures to be implemented by
disgruntled officers. Today, they will ask us to thoroughly search all vehicles
coming in, tomorrow they will ask us to ensure that everybody fills access
forms.”
Presidential
spokesmen, Mr. Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, were not available for comment on
Tuesday as they were on the President’s entourage to China.
But
a security expert, Mr. Mike Ejiofor, who spoke on the issue, took two different
positions on the issue.
Ejiofor,
who is a retired DSS official, agreed that security operatives, who guided the
President or were on special postings, were entitled to special allowances
which were meant to encourage them in order not to compromise or undermine
their loyalty.
He
said, “People who guide the President or on special postings are entitled to
special allowances to encourage them and to ensure that their loyalty is not
undermined, or that they do not go about begging for money.
“I
am not saying that they cannot be begging for money if they are paid this
allowance, but the situation will be worse if they are not paid.
“But
again, authorities may have their reasons for not paying this allowance,
possibly because of the change agenda. If that is the case, the security
operatives should also adapt.”
In
the past, senior officers were said to be receiving about N30,000 per month as
their special allowance while junior officers got about N25,000.
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