I read on page 12 of the Daily Trust edition of Friday, June 23, 2017 the story of a public demonstration in the Imo State capital in support of an immediate review and increase of the salaries/welfare packages of officers and men of the Nigeria Police.
I personally support the call. I see no reason why a trainee constable of the Police should not earn less than N50,000 a month and on successful graduation be placed on monthly salary of N150,000.
This trevolutionary increase should graduate upwards to the highest rank in the force considering the daily risks an ordinary policeman faces while carrying out his duties of protecting lives and property of Nigerians.
The exploits of the police in arresting or gunning down daredevil criminals year in year out deserve commendation of all law abiding citizens of this great country and the foreigners living with us. After the salary increase, funds should be appropriated by the National Assembly for the police force to establish a boarding Police Primary and Secondary Schools in each state of the federation so that in case of routine transfers officers would have no fear of the welfare of their children in schools. Similarly the education to be provided in such boarding schools should be free.
The present listening federal government should start with the Police first as an experiment and could be expanded if successful. The federal government must not wait for public demonstrations to do the needful in the present circumstances.
