Newly Recruited NDLEA Officers Protest Non-payment Of Salary

Fresh graduates of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Academy have protested against the non-payment of their salary.

The protesters claimed that the agency is owing them six-month salaries (August till January) following their graduation from the academy last year.

According to the protesters, their appointment letters were dated July 25, 2021, and they have not been paid since last year, lamenting that the situation has become frustrating.

Reacting, the agency disclosed that the non-payment of the salary of the new recruits was due to the issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

It made this known in a circular dated February 3, 2022, and signed by the Director, Finance and Account, Shitu Abdullahi, on behalf of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Buba Marwa.

The agency said the salary delay only affected officers who graduated from the academy in September and November 2021 respectively, adding that only January 2022 salary has not been paid.

It revealed that graduands were not created on the IPPIS Platform for payment of January salary due to lack of ample time for creation, stating that the affected officers will be paid in February 2022 with their January 2022 arrears.

The circular reads, ‘’The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, IPPIS Department has informed the agency that officers who graduated from the Academy in September and November 2021 respectively were not created on the IPPIS Platform for payment of January salary due to lack of ample time for creation, while few were created.

“In view of the above, the affected officers will be paid in February 2022 with their January 2022 arrears.”

Speaking with The Punch, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the agency was not responsible for the salary delay, stressing that the salary can only be paid following the activation of their IPPIS number.

Babafemi added that the NDLEA is working with the concerned agency to resolve the issue before the payment of the February salary.

He said, “They are of different batches. They graduated at different times. The issue is beyond the agency; it has to do with the activation of their IPPIS number by the appropriate government department.

“It is not everybody that is affected. I think out of the 5,000, about half of them have received, that is what is prompting those that have not received to cry out.

“Those not paid are the ones whose IPPIS numbers have not been activated. We are working with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to resolve this before the payment of the next salary.

“Don’t let us forget that this is the first time in the history of the agency that such number of persons would be employed, it is something that would take time for those handling it outside of the agency.”