From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
Aggrieved personnel from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Correctional Service have voiced their frustration to the Ministry of Interior and the Nigerian government regarding what they describe as unjust delays in the implementation of salary and promotion arrears for newly ranked officers.
In an interview with Daily Sun reporter on Monday, the staff members, who requested anonymity, highlighted perceived inequalities and inconsistencies in the handling of promotion and salary payments among various paramilitary services, including the Nigerian Immigration Service, Fire Service, NSCDC, and Correctional Services.
One officer revealed that the Nigerian Correctional Service has repeatedly issued promotions for its staff over the past three years without addressing the corresponding salary arrears for those promoted in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
“It is shocking that some officers were promoted in December 2023 without proper placement or the payment of promotion arrears. Almost ten months later, there has been no action from the authorities of the Nigerian Correctional Service or NSCDC to rectify this issue,” the officer stated.
In contrast, he noted that the Immigration Service and Fire Service have managed to process promotions and salary payments for their officers in a timely manner since March 2023, highlighting a significant disparity in treatment among the paramilitary forces.
The officer called on the Minister of Interior to intervene urgently to prevent the situation from escalating, labeling it as social injustice, inequality, and unfairness towards NSCDC and Correctional Service officers.
He urged a thorough investigation into the implementation of promotion and salary arrears, suggesting that the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Services and the Commandant General of NSCDC be held accountable, as well as the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS) for the discrepancies in payment processing.
