By Stanley Onyekwere
The Federal Government has disclosed advanced plans to grant Junior Police officers tax-free salaries, as a measure to reducing their economic stress and improving their living standards.
This was as it stated that taxes deducted from junior police personnel across the country amount to N8 billion annually.
The Chairman , National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, made this disclosure while speaking with newsmen, on the sidelines of a 3-Day Retreat of key management officers, organised by the Commission .
Nta, who also debunked claims that Police salaries had been reviewed upwards to 20 percent, stated that what a Presidential Committee which he headed did , was to consider certain duty allowances of the police and fashioned out ways it can seamlessly be paid to deserving personnel.
He also noted that recommendations equally made, which the Federal Executive Council had approved, was how to remove the unnecessary bottleneck around the insurance premium of the officers, and how it can be paid promptly.
According to him, the Federal government has also accepted to upscale the standards of living and service delivery of the personnel by insuring their barracks, stations and armoury.
This, he said would ameliorate the conditions of service for the Police Force, in an unfortunate incident like the infamous EndSars protest that visited Police formations with mayhem across the country .
“We looked at junior Police ranks and recommended to Mr. President to give them tax waiver, let them not pay tax. We calculated all the taxes they pay in a year, it came to N8 billion.
“We said no, give them their salaries tax free, that means we are putting back N8 billion into their pockets.
“We also recommended that their insurance premium should be paid immediately, if you are waiting for government, it might take 3 years. We have seen cases of 2003 to date not been paid. So government has accepted that Police insurance should be paid as when due.
“Finally, we said all Police infrastructures, barracks, offices, stations, armoury and everything must be insured”, Nta added.
