Civil Defence and NCoS personnel are mobilizing for a nationwide protest in response to IPPIS deductions, highlighting grievances about payment discrepancies and seeking prompt action.
Personnel from paramilitary agencies under the Ministry of Interior are planning a nationwide protest over alleged irregularities and deductions in their salaries, which are managed by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The affected agencies include the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), and Federal Fire Service (FFS). Complaints also extend to delays in receiving promotion arrears.
A post circulating on social media expressed frustration:
“We are being oppressed and financially shortchanged by IPPIS. Our promotion arrears and approved entitlements remain unpaid, and we were grossly underpaid this month despite current economic hardships.”
An FFS officer, speaking anonymously, expressed concern over salary inconsistencies:
“I don’t know my salary because the amount changes monthly. Once, I was paid less than someone two ranks below me without any explanation.”
Similarly, an NIS staff member revealed her repeated but unsuccessful visits to the IPPIS office:
“I have tried to resolve this issue, but nothing changes. I’ve decided to just hope and pray for an improvement.”
Spokesman for the NCoS, Abubakar Umar, reminded personnel that protests are against uniform service rules and advised them to follow established grievance channels.
NSCDC spokesman Babawale Afolabi stated that Commandant-General Dr. Ahmed Audi had addressed the matter, assuring staff that all salary discrepancies would be resolved with the next payment:
“The issue originated from IPPIS system adjustments. Everything should normalize by the end of this month.”
Meanwhile, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation clarified that arrears are being paid in tranches due to funding constraints. Spokesman Bawa Mokwa explained:
“Deductions by IPPIS are standard, including pension, income tax, and association dues. Payments of arrears are processed in batches as funds become available.”
The aggrieved personnel, however, remain sceptical and await concrete actions to address the issues.
