The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has dismissed allegations that its leadership is withholding promotion and salary arrears, saying payments are outside the control of the Corps’ management.
In a statement on Thursday, NSCDC spokesperson Afolabi Babawale said the Commandant General, Abubakar Audi, does not handle the payment of salaries or promotion arrears, which he said are managed by the Presidential Committee on Arrears, chaired by the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation and the Accountant General of the Federation.
The clarification follows complaints by some personnel over unpaid promotion arrears from 2022 to 2024, with claims that repeated assurances had not translated into payments.
Babawale said the current leadership inherited five years of unpaid salary arrears on assumption of office in 2021 and facilitated the clearance of arrears covering 2015 to 2019, benefiting more than 37,000 personnel.
He added that payment records show progress has been made, contrary to claims that no arrears have been settled since 2022.
According to the Corps, arrears for 2023 and 2024 are yet to receive the necessary approvals, noting that disbursement requires presidential approval and budgetary release.
Babawale also said the 2025 promotion examination results were released in December 2025 and that processing to include related arrears in the budget is ongoing.
He appealed to personnel to remain calm, assuring them that the Corps is engaging relevant authorities to secure the release of funds for payment.
Keywords: NSCDC, promotion arrears, salary arrears, civil defence, Nigeria
