The Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDCP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris over what it described as a national embarrassment the violent protest by riot policemen in Maiduguri as a result of the non-payment of their six months salaries.
The policemen who took to the streets of Maiduguri shooting sporadically to complain about the non in the payment of their salaries and emoluments by the Force since January alleged that the IGP has withheld their salaries from January when they were posted to the state to beef up the counter-insurgency architecture of the Police in the state.
They also complained that many of them had had to endure inhuman treatment as they had to sleep on the corridor of the office on returning from duty at night.
In a statement on Tuesday by its Presidential Candidate and Founder, Dr Johnson Edosomwan, the party decried the Police authorities led by the IGP in delaying the pay of Nigerians who put their lives on the line for the territorial integrity of the country.
The party however belated the Force PPRO, Jimoh Moshood for denying the fact that the riot policemen protest their unpaid duty allowances with visiting the Borno State Police Command to enquire about the delay of their allowances.
Edosomwan wondered why the Police spokesperson would be lying when the true situation of things had been established which the Vice President has taken steps on.
The NDCP Presidential Candidate said “It is unfortunate that those who have shown commitment to defending the territorial integrity of this country are being owed their due salaries and emoluments.”
“The matter is also heartrending. This makes it imperative for the President to sack the Inspector General of Police now. Yesterday’s event has revealed the incompetence of the Police boss to manage effectively the force he controls. Even with the excuse of budget signing delay, it is evident that Nigeria’s financial year ends in the April of the successive year.”
“Claims by the Riot Mobile Policemen espoused that they have not been paid since January is then alarming. It then behooves on the President to sack the IGP as it is evident that the Police hierarchy is dining in corruption. We in the NDCP want the IGP relieved of his duties as both his administrative and security strategies have failed woefully. Nigeria deserves a better IGP than this,” the party stressed.
