African Action Congress (AAC) 2023 presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has stated that policemen in the rank and file of the Nigeria Police Force have expressed a willingness to withdraw their service, especially from top public figures, on July 21, in protest against their poor remuneration.
Naijaonpoint reports that the human rights activist stated this while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday.
According to him, the affected policemen had chosen the date for the protest, and a follow-up protest was scheduled for August 1.
He said, “And our proposal, which a lot of them are considering, is to withdraw their services, especially from the big men who are supposed to make this decision.
“If the IG of police finds out on July 21 that he wants to go to work and there are no policemen to drive him or carry a gun and follow him, he will think twice and know that these people are serious.
“The mistake the police authorities are making at the highest level is that they think this is for retired officers. No. The people that are actually agitating the most, the people that are ready to act and down tools on July 21, followed by another group planning for August 1, by the way, are mostly serving policemen, and they are ready.
“Most of them have said this, and I believe it, that what they are being paid now is as good as being unemployed, considering the amount of risk they take. I mean, how do you serve for 35 years and your pension is ₦35,000 at the end of the month? What do you do with it? Buy a recharge card with it?”
Sowore also called for an upward review of the welfare and remuneration of the rank and file of the Nigeria Police Force, stressing that Nigerians, especially celebrity entertainers, who enjoy the protection of the affected policemen, should support the protest.
He added, “How do you serve a country for 35 years and your monthly salary is, highest, ₦57,000, maybe ₦140,000, depending on your rank? How do you survive in a country where the inflation rate is at 24 per cent, where you have to pay the school fees of your children, and where you have to treat your children if they are sick?”