Scores of Higher National Diploma (HND) holders within the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have raised the alarm over alleged non-payment of their 26 months salaries.
The officers also alleged that the NSCDC has been delaying their promotion since 2012.
The affected officers in a Save Our Soul message sent to DAILY POST on Thursday urged the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to mandate the corps to pay them the arrears.
They also urged Aregbesola to look into the reported promotion stagnation of the corps.
It was gathered that the officers were placed on GL8 when HND/BSC dichotomy was removed.
It was, however, gathered that some of the officers did not receive theirs for 26 months.
The affected officers added that the problem of stagnation in the NSCDC affected officers from 2005, 2010, 2012 intake of the corps.
The affected officers, who asked not to be named because of fear of intimidation and harassment, alleged that some officers spend 10 to 15 years in service without being promoted to the next rank.
They said, “On 26th August 2022, list of promotion released by CDCFIB has clearly shown that some states are being favoured while some states are left behind. The future career progression of such officers are being played with, some officers spend 10 to 15 years in service without being promoted to the next rank.
“After being advanced to level 8 in 2016, due to the removal of the dichotomy between HND and BSC none of them has received further promotion while their colleagues with Bachelor’s degree have been promoted twice, keeping the B.Sc holders in level 10, two levels above their HND colleagues.
“However, since 2016 that 2012 HND intake got advancement to GL8, they have not been promoted till date and B.Sc. holders of 2012 intake have been writing promotion exams to the extent they are ahead of HND 2012 Personnel with two levels, that is level 10 rank of DSC.”
The Director of Public Relations of NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu when contacted explained that the problem of salary delay emanated as a result of IPPIS which is being controlled by the office of the Accountant General of the federation.
He said that the NSCDC Commandant, Abubakar Audi inherited backlogs of salary arrears.
Odumosu in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Thursday, however, added that the commandant is working to ensure that the unresolved issues are resolved on time.
Odumosu, a Deputy Commandant of NSCDC, said “As a matter of fact, the Commandant General of NSCDC, Dr. Abubakar Audi upon assumption of office met a lot of backlog of salary arrears. I can tell you that he has made an effort to make sure that these arrears are settled.
“He came to office in 2021, these arrears, we are talking about many years.
“These arrears we are talking about are not owed by NSCDC but IPPIS which is being controlled and managed by the office of the accountant general of the federation.”