The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, CP Tuesday Assayomo, has said the police are not owing any policeman or woman salary, nor is the force owing special constabularies salary.
Assayomo said this in reaction to a protest by police special constabularies that caused serious traffic gridlock along the popular Ahmadu Bello Way in Ilorin, the state capital, over alleged non-payment of salaries.
This was contained in a statement titled, ‘Viral video on Facebook of policemen protesting non-payment of salary in Kwara State’, signed by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Okansami Ajayi.
The statement said the concept of community policing and recruitment of special constabularies was voluntary in nature since they were not on monthly remuneration like the conventional policemen.
It clarified that community policing across the state was voluntary and, therefore, not a paid job, adding that participants were adequately briefed on zero remuneration.
The statement read, “The Kwara State Police Command wishes to dissociate herself from a video already spiralling on Facebook, regarding a protest by some purported policemen over the non-payment of one year salary.
“For purposes of clarification, the characters seen in the video are police special constabularies recruited to complement the operation of community policing. It is important to state that the concept of community policing and recruitment of special constabularies is voluntary, meaning they are not on monthly remuneration like the conventional policemen.
“This much the constabularies were briefed before taking up the job, besides, the job is not a full-time job.
“The Commissioner of Police Kwara State, CP Assayomo psc (+) wishes to state categorically that the police are not owing any policeman or woman any salary, nor is the police owing the special constabularies salary. Therefore, members of the public are advised to disregard the viral video as it was designed to embarrass the police and to draw undue sympathy from the public. “The men and women of the special constabulary are at liberty to honourably disengage from the service if they so wish.”
