Buhari's Aso Villa Guards Grumble over their Unpaid Allowance
They are officers of the Nigerian Army, the Department of Security Service (DSS), the Nigerian Police Force, the National Intelligence Agency, Federal Fire Service and Federal Road Safety Corps.
Since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office on May 29, 2015, the State House security staff, said to be about 1,400 have not received their allowance known as Risk Cautious Allowance (RCA).
The administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan was said to be paying each of the senior security personnel at the Villa N30,000; and the junior ones, N25,000 as monthly special allowance.
Findings, however, revealed that even though Jonathan’s administration had reviewed the special allowance upward, the last time the Villa security staff received it was in March, 2015.
But the officers currently securing the nation’s seat of power said it beat their imagination that they could be owed their RCA under the administration of President Buhari, a retired general.
Security personnel, who craved anonymity, told Daily Post that months after President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the payment of the allowance, “nothing has been done.”
One of them, a policeman, said he's surprised at the non-payment of the special allowance “especially since the president is from a security background."
Presidency Reacts
The president explained that “clean and lawful” means of paying the special allowance was being devised, as was directed by President Buhari.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said on assumption of office, Buhari’s administration discovered that the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) was just paying the special allowance without following due process.
Shehu said: “Under the Muhammadu Buhari administration, you are not going to have the NSA going to the Central Bank or the NNPC to fetch money to share around. That is not going to happen.”
He said the president had, to that extent, directed the new NSA, General Babagana Munguno, “to devise clean and lawful means of paying those allowances as part of the overall effort to clean up that office.”
The allowance is a mere privilege, not a right as all the officers still collect their monthly salaries.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said on assumption of office, Buhari’s administration discovered that the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) was just paying the special allowance without following due process.
Shehu said: “Under the Muhammadu Buhari administration, you are not going to have the NSA going to the Central Bank or the NNPC to fetch money to share around. That is not going to happen.”
He said the president had, to that extent, directed the new NSA, General Babagana Munguno, “to devise clean and lawful means of paying those allowances as part of the overall effort to clean up that office.”
The allowance is a mere privilege, not a right as all the officers still collect their monthly salaries.
Comments
Post a Comment