The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has on Wednesday approved new allowances for the police, increasing their take home by 20 percent. The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi made this known while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, saying the allowance will take effect from January 2022. Dingyadi said the meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari approved the "peculiar allowance" for the police in efforts of the governments meeting demands of the #EndSARS protest.
The minister disclosed that the council also reviewed the police duty tour allowance and shift allowance to 6 percent as well as the release of N1.2 billion for payment of uninsured benefits.
“I am particularly very happy today to inform Nigerians that the Federal Executive Council has approved the review and upgrading of the take home pay of Police personnel in this country. You recall that in October 2020 this country was rocked with EndSARS protests and the President addressed the nation appealing for calm, after which he promised that the salary of the Police will be reviewed in recognition of the services they have been rendering to the country, maintaining peace and tranquillity.
“So, FEC has today approved a proposal for the review of their salaries, which will take effect from January 2022. We have tried to create a situation where their take home pay will be enhanced through the improvement of issues such as duty tour allowance, which has been reviewed to six percent of their new take home pay,” Dingyadi said.
The Minister further highlighted the new Police salary, saying “Council has also approved the payment of N1,120, 172,150.00 for payment as outstanding benefits of personnel for uninsured period of 2013-2020, it has also approved N127,972,269.20 for payment as outstanding death benefits of 5472 personnel for the uninsured period of 2013-August 2021, not covered under the group life assurance.
“Council has also approved N1.2 billion as outstanding burial expenses of personnel for a period of January 2012-2021. Also, the Council graciously approved the annual insurance premiums of N750 million as well as the payment of N4, 812,500,000 for repairs and replacement of damaged Police infrastructure in future budgets, starting from 2022. Council has also approved a tax waver in the sum of N18.6 billion for junior officers of the Police in order to increase their take home pay with effect from October 2021.
“Similarly government has approved an increase of the current rent subsidy, which is currently between 15-20 percent, amounting to N61 billion. With the increase, it is now 40 percent of the Consolidate Police Salary Structure (CONPOSS), in the sum of N78.3 billion. It has also approved payment of an additional six percent shift duty allowance for officers on Grade Level 01-14 and supervisors allowances for officers on Grade Level 15 and above, totalling about N10.038 billion with effect from 2022.
“Most importantly, government has also approved payment of 20 percent of CONPOSS as a peculiar allowance to boost morale and take home pay of the Nigeria Police personnel,” he said.