Personnel from the Nigeria Prisons Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) have raised concerns over unpaid promotion arrears and the government’s failure to adjust their salaries to reflect recent promotions. These officers are calling on President Bola Tinubu to urgently investigate the matter and address what they describe as “inhumane treatment.”
The affected officers lamented that while funds for the payment of their allowances have allegedly been released, they are yet to receive their promotion arrears. They pointed out a glaring disparity, noting that personnel in the Federal Fire Service, which falls under the same Ministry of Interior, have already been placed on their new salary scales and received their entitlements.
“We, the officers of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and Nigeria Immigration Services, are deeply troubled by the neglect we are facing from the government through the Accountant-General of the Federation,” one officer said. “While staff of the Fire Service are enjoying all due allowances, we in the NCOS, NSCDC, and NIS are being sidelined.”
Another officer expressed frustration over unpaid rent arrears, explaining, “In March, Fire Service personnel received two months’ rent arrears for January and February 2024. Meanwhile, other agencies in the same ministry, including ours, are yet to be paid.”
Adding to their grievances, the officers complained about salary deductions by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). One officer said, “The harsh economic conditions in the country are being compounded by unexplained and significant deductions from our monthly salaries. We don’t even know how much we’ll receive each month.”
The officers also highlighted the delay in implementing the 2023 and 2024 promotion salary scales. They noted that while other paramilitary agencies received a three-month 25% salary increase for January to March in October, their own increment remains unpaid.
“We are calling on President Tinubu to urgently investigate these issues. If nothing is done, the situation might escalate, as the welfare of officers in these three agencies is deteriorating rapidly,” one officer warned.
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