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,
according to Punch.
They have not been paid the monthly
allowance since May 2015 when the administration of President Muhammadu
Buhari came on board despite repeated promises made to them on the
issue.
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.
Credit: Punch
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