Reps probe Maiduguri police protest over unpaid allowances

The House of Representatives on Thursday, resolved to investigate Monday’s protest in Maiduguri, Borno state by mobile police men stationed there, over allegations of non- payment of their six months’ special duty allowance.

The video of the protesting policemen which has been trending on social media platforms saw the aggrieved policemen, posted to Maiduguri in January to assist maintain the peace in the violence ravaged state chanting and dancing on major highways while demanding the Buhari administration to ask the police chief, Ibrahim Idris’ to pay them their allowances.

The House resolved to probe the protest after debating a motion sponsored by Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, who described the development as a show of shame and national embarrassment.

According to Rep. Chinda, the payment of allowances for personnel on special duties was a recurrent expenditure, which should not be delayed, even as he faulted as untenable the defence of the Ministry of Police Affairs blaming the late passage of the 2018 budget for the non – payment of the policemen.

He warned that if cases like the Mauduguri incident were not checked, there was the tendency that it would escalate to other sectors beyond the police, adding that “it is a disgrace to see security men protesting in such manner, especially when it has to do with their welfare”.

Contributing to debate on the motion, Rep. Hassan Saleh said it was a thing of shame that the police can be reduced to such level.

“It may not be peculiar with this people, it may be that they were the only ones who have the courage to protest”, the lawmaker stated.

Reps. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, Aliyu Madaki and Nuhu Danburam, who also spoke, supported that the protest be investigated, warning that the personnel who partook in the protest must be given assurance of their protection against summary dismissal, or any other unfair punitive measures by the police authorities.

Following the House resolution, an ad hoc committee will be constituted with the mandate to investigate the circumstances leading to the protest and report back within two weeks.