A Human Rights Activist and 2023 Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Comrade Omoyele Sowore, has advocated for a significant increase in the remuneration of Nigerian policemen.
Comrade Sowore said that policemen should earn at least N500,000 per month, considering the crucial role they play in maintaining law and order.
Sowore, made the call on Wednesday when featured as a guest on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
Hisbwords: “We are concerned about the people who are really doing the work, and it is time for us to be on their side to ensure that they are well paid, well remunerated, and when they are no longer in service, they don’t become paupers.”
He also highlighted the stark contrast between the earnings of senators and policemen, noting that while senators earn N30 million per month, policemen earn a meager salary, with the highest-paid earning N140,000 per month.
Sowore questioned the logic behind this disparity, given that policemen are responsible for protecting senators
“I mentioned earlier that an average senator takes home N30 million per month, but the senator can’t leave home except they are accompanied by the police.
“So, why is it that senators are taking home N30 million per month, but the policeman cannot earn N500,000 per month?”
”What is N500,000 really? Maybe about $300 a month; that is what some people earn in a day somewhere else, not in Nigeria, ” he said.
Sowore also drew attention to the pension scheme for policemen, which he described as inadequate.
He revealed that the company managing police pensions pays its workers a minimum of N1 million per month, while policemen struggle to survive on meager pensions after retirement.
“But the interesting thing about it is that there is a police pension limited, the company that manages their pension.
“The pension company, an average worker there makes about a million per month, that’s the least that they make, and the people whose pension they are managing are dying of poverty. Sometimes, you just wake up in this country and wonder if anybody is thinking.
“How do you serve a country for 35 years and your monthly salary is, highest, N57,000, maybe N140,000, 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?” Sowore added.
Sowore mentioned that aggrieved security agents have planned a protest for July 21 to demand better pay.
He urged Nigerians, particularly celebrity entertainers who benefit from police protection, to join the protest and show solidarity with the policemen.
Sowore emphasised the need for Nigerians to support the policemen’s demand for better pay, stressing that it is essential for their well-being and effectiveness in maintaining law and order.
He believed that a well-remunerated police force is crucial for the country’s stability and security.
