On Thursday, the Federal Government launched a training program for an inter-agency committee to monitor and evaluate the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) approvals regarding outstanding death benefits, allowances, and insurance for the Nigeria Police Force.
The training, held at the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) headquarters, focused on the theme “Monitoring of the Implementation of Approved Allowance and Off-setting of Outstanding Pension Arrears, Death Benefits and Other Related Matters.”
In his opening address, NSIWC Chairman Ekpo Nta welcomed stakeholders to the training program, which aims to monitor the FEC’s December 15, 2021, approvals concerning police allowances and benefits.
“Following the #EndSARS protests in October 2020, former President Muhammadu Buhari tasked the NSIWC with expediting the review of police remunerations. We conducted extensive studies and interactions with various stakeholders, including top police officials and government ministries,” Nta said.
Nta noted that the NSIWC gathered detailed information on the police budget, approved appropriations, and disbursements over the past decade. The commission’s recommendations, approved by the FEC in December 2021 and effective January 1, 2022, include:
– Increased rent subsidies
– Revised shift duty and supervision allowances for entitled police personnel
– A new peculiar allowance
– Tax waivers for junior police personnel, similar to those for the military
– Payment of outstanding death benefits for the uninsured period from 2013 to August 2021
– Payment of outstanding benefits for the uninsured period from 2013 to 2020
– Payment of outstanding burial expenses for personnel from January 2012 to July 2021
– Prioritization of annual insurance premiums for Group Personal Accident Insurance and Property Insurance to cover police infrastructure repairs/replacements
Nta emphasized that the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning would collaborate with the Nigeria Police Force to develop a realistic annual overhead budget for paying approved non-regular allowances. The NSIWC will also examine retirement benefits for police personnel and establish a mechanism to monitor salary and allowance payments.
The training marks the start of efforts to ensure diligent monitoring and evaluation of the FEC’s approvals. “The committee is tasked with carrying out this exercise diligently to identify and address any bottlenecks,” Nta stated, expressing gratitude to the police and NSIWC for their support.
