Aso Rock Policemen Protest "Discriminatory Allowance"

Some policemen attached to the Police Mobile Force 24, State House, are not happy over their alleged exclusion from the payment of the outstanding allowance to security men attached to the Presidential Villa, Abuja recently, The PUNCH has learnt.

The PUNCH had reported exclusively that President Muhammadu Buhari had cleared the backlog of allowance of security agents, thereby dousing the tension that was brewing among the operatives.

It was reported that the President, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, also effected over 50 per cent increase in the security agents’ allowance popularly referred to as the Risk Cautious Allowance.

Multiple sources among the policemen told our correspondent on the condition of anonymity on Thursday that about 288 personnel were exempted from the payment of the allowance.

The soqurces claimed that those who were exempted from the payment were allegedly tagged “Peoples Democratic Party policemen.”

One of them claimed that the only problem authorities had with them was because they worked in the Presidential Villa under the last administration.

He said the “discriminatory payment” was already causing disaffection among the policemen who were supposed to be working in unity.

He said, “We are calling on the NSA to come to our aid and ensure that this injustice is redressed.

“We all suffered together and we are supposed to smile together. The discrimination is not necessary.

“If our services are no longer needed, we should be paid our entitlement and then they can transfer us.

“Why will some people be smiling, while others are not? We deserve to be treated better.”

When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, denied the allegation.

Shehu said as far as the government was concerned, everyone entitled to the allowance had been paid.

He noted that there were some officers who were used to free money and would do anything to inflate the list of beneficiaries.

“There is no free money anywhere. Those who are entitled to the payment have been paid. Only security men around the President are entitled to it. Government won’t allow officers who will inflate the list for their selfish purposes,” the presidential spokesman said.