By: Yinka Bolorunduro,
About 140 security aides attached to the outgoing governor of Osun State, Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, are unhappy and grumbling over 14 months unpaid allowances. The security officers complained that the allowance has been owed since the time of the former ADC to the governor, Jimoh Akinloye, till date.
The officers which include members of State Security Service of Nigeria (DSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and Nigerian Police Mobile from 39PMF, Special Protect Unit from Base 11 and Police Officers from Osun State Command, alleged that their boss, Mr Oyetola, have been denying them more than one year Risk Caution and Special Operation Allowances.
Describing the situation as unfortunate, one of the affected security aides who spoke on the ground of anonymity disclosed that each officer in the rank of sergeant is entitled to N20,000 monthly allowance, N30,000 for inspector and N50,000 for senior officers. He said the governor has failed to pay the . N50,000 quarterly uniform allowance for junior officers and N100,000 for senior officers respectively, adding that the debts have accumulated into millions of Naira.
The officers appeal to the Inspector General of Police to intervene as a matter of urgency especially as the APC administration is winding up in a matter of days, saying the grumblings and complaints by security officers attached to the governor suspected that the unpaid allowances may have been siphoned or diverted, resulting in its non-payment.
“Anytime we talk about our allowance, they would threaten to send us back to base. They have been threatening that nobody should report or post anything on social media pertaining to the allowance,” one of the affected officers said.
“We have families and children some of whom are in tertiary institutions and we need these little things to assist ourselves. We have been complaining, we want to go on protest. But we are afraid because if we protest, it will be easy for them to trace us.”
“Meanwhile, the first lady, Mrs Kafayat Oyetola, is fully aware of our predicament with the governor because when we reported the matter to her sometimes last year, she intervened and the governor was forced to pay three months allowances from the backlogs after which the payment had stopped till date,” the security aide concluded.
The affected security aides have further requested the IGP to intervene to ensure a just resolution of the complaint otherwise, they will go on a protest.
Credit: Osun News Watch,
Osogbo, Osun State.
