FESTUS KEYAMO: Why Buhari Cannot Increase Police Salary – #EndSWAT—One of the demands of the #EndSARS Protesters to Nigerian Government is the increment of Police salaries as a measure to curtail the bribery and corruption associated with them.
Festis Keyamo, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, has however said it was not possible for Buhari to do so cause the salaries of policemem was increased two years ago.
He reiterated that President Muhammadu Buhari‘s regime was committed to improved welfare for members of the police but the Government at the moment is not buoyant enough to bring about further increment.
Keyamo also added that the protest rocking the country is becoming a violet action as some criminals have mixed with protesters to terrorize citizens and the police.
He said:
“The President has no powers to come up tomorrow and announce new salaries for policemen.
When you do that, you even sharpen an industrial crisis because you have different segments of the society, doctors, civil servants, soldiers and others will make fresh demands.
We just did a minimum wage last year. It was President Buhari that increased the salaries of policemen two years ago.
It was after a rigorous exercise, almost 100 per cent increment. Corporals and all that went home all smiling.
“You have to look at the national purse to do that. Right now, we are borrowing and that is why we are freeing up a lot of subsidies.”
