The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the street protest by police personnel on special duty in Borno State has confirmed that the “Presidency has not been committed to providing security” for the people.
The party made the claim in a statement by their National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Monday hours after the police personnel demanded the payment of their allowance of about five months.PDP described the protest as “unfortunate and an ugly caption of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government.”
They alleged that despite the huge resources at the government disposal, it has only been paying lip service and giving false assurances to the people in the region and other parts of the country.
“Is it not disconcerting that policemen, who daily risk their lives at the fronts, are denied their allowances for months; left unaccommodated without basic needs, and kept forlorn in the face of battle?” the opposition party questioned.
“Nigerians can now see that this administration is overtly deceitful, thrives on propaganda, lies, false claims and is never committed to the good of the people even as it blames everyone else for its failures,” the party claimed.
The PDP purported that the situation was more than has met the eyes and called for an urgent investigation into the cause of the protest by the security operatives.
They noted that while the findings of such investigations must be made public, the policemen should exercise restraint as they vent their grievances.
The party further challenge the Police High Command to ensure that the immediate payment of the allowances and do the needful to restore the morale of the men at the front.
The police personnel stormed the streets of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital earlier in the day, calling for the removal of the Inspector General of Police.
Barricading major roads around the Police Headquarters in the state, they claimed that they have not been provided with their basic needs, including good accommodation.
But the police authorities have played down the report of protest, saying the personnel were only at the Command Headquarters to enquire about their unpaid allowances.
A statement from the Force Headquarters, Abuja revealed that the Inspector General of Police had promptly directed the Commissioner of Police in Borno to address the issue.
