By Dare Akogun
The Kwara State Police Command have dismissed a viral video regarding a protest by some officers over alleged non-payment of one year’s salary.
No fewer than 1,056 special constables had manned some strategic areas of Ilorin on Saturday in protest, alleging that the Kwara State Government was owing them for 18 months.
The protesters complained that they have not been paid any salary by the state government since the completion of their training in April 2021.
But the Commissioner of Police in the state, Tuesday Assayomo, said the Command is not owing the salary of any conventional policeman or the allowance of the special constabulary shown in the video.
According to the police commissioner, the constabulary only receives allowances paid by the state government.
”It is important to state that the concept of community policing and recruitment of special constabulary is voluntary in nature, meaning they are not on monthly remuneration like the conventional policemen,” he said.
“This much the constabulary were briefed before taking up the job, besides, the job is not a full-time job.
“Due to the complaints of the constabulary regarding non-payment of stipends by the state government, they were invited today for a meeting by the state government on ways by which their complaints could be looked into.
“It was surprising that the same set of constabulary after the meeting with agents of the state government could go online with a video claiming that the government was owing them salaries for a year.
“Therefore, members of the public are advised to disregard the viral video as it was designed to embarrass the police and also to draw an undue sympathy from the public.”
Assayomo said the special constabulary is at liberty to honourably disengage from the service if they so wish.
