George Onah
1 February 2002
Lagos — POLICEMEN from the rank of constable to inspector in Cross River State, yesterday, shed their uniforms and abandoned their rifles at the start of their much publicised strike.
Consequent upon their action, the doors of all the banks and other financial institutions in Calabar were put under lock and key apparently for fear of robbers and hoodlums taking advantage of the absence of policemen from work to unleash terror.
Also conspicuously absent from their duty posts were traffic wardens who abandoned all the strategic and busy roads in the city centre, triggering traffic jams round the town.
As early as 6.30 a.m., policemen and women, police in plain cloths had stormed the various command posts in Calabar, barricading the entrance and exit routes. They harassed officers from the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).
At the State Police Headquarters , (CID) all the doors of the offices were locked including that of the commissioner who was no where around the place, while the striking policemen locked the main-gate.
They shouted themselves hoarse, blaming their woes on the Inspector General of Police and other powers that be.
Police guards attached to the residence of the Commissioner Mr. Thomas Sodimu and Governor Donald Duke also abandoned their duty posts.
The governor was however not in town when Vanguard visited the Zone 6 Headquarters, at the Murtala Mohammed Highway. The AIG Mr. Haris Agboghoroma was seen driving into the premises at about 7.45 a.m. in mufti and in his private car without his security men and siren blaring official car.
The few junior policemen who reported for duty did so discreetly.
The striking policemen almost turned violent at the Atakpa Police Station in Calabar over looking the Wall Market when they blocked the road leading to the market, forcing people to make a detour from the place into another chaotic part of town, while molesting anyone who attempted to disobey them.
Also at the Area Command, Otop Abasi and Akin Police Command, scores of police men and women gathered in groups, discussing their unprecedented action. Not a single police man or woman there had his or her uniform on.
The Area Commander could not be reached for his reaction.
The police through a circular signed by four anonymous policemen had warned last week that the rank and file including Inspector of the force would proceed on strike on Thursday January 31, 2002, if the Federal Government and Police authorities failed to meet certain demands, particularly on their welfare.
These included a raise in the salary of a police constable to equal that of local government councilor, that all police graduates of rank and file be promoted to ASP, that civilian graduates should not be recruited into the police, except serving policemen who are graduates have all been commissioned, that all shift duties be reversed to eight hours and not 12 hours. They also want all duties apart from their normal eight hours duty to be regarded as overtime, that their accumulated lodging allowance of 2000/2001 be paid immediately, also, that salaries should be paid on or before 22nd of every month.
But the Command PPRO in the state, ASP Joseph Ozonna Eze said the threat of the men lack merit for discussion.
Meanwhile Inspector-General of police, Mr. Musiliu Smith, has assured all Inspectors, rank and file of the Force, that the back-log of their promotions would be cleared within the shortest possible time.
lRing leaders arrested
The Nigeria Police Force has announced the arrest of four policemen alleged to be the brains behind the purported strike by inspectors and the rank and file cadre.
Briefing newsmen on the strike which had started in Calabar, the Deputy Inspector-General of police, Alhaji Bukar Ali, said yesterday in Abuja that the policemen were arrested in Makurdi and brought to Abuja for questioning.
He gave the names of the arrested policemen, whom he described as the ring leaders of the strike, as Inspector Jonathan Burya, Sergeant Michael Maigari, as well as Corporals Stephen Idoko and Kuyamagun Annabaka.
The four policemen, according to the DIG, and all those who would be arrested in the process of investigation, would undergo orderly room trial and, if found guilty, would not only be dismissed but also be made to face criminal trial in the law court.
"They will be dealt with ruthlessly. We will identify other members and they will face trial and be dismissed, no doubt about it," he said.
He explained that unlike the civil service, "the law does not allow unionism in the force."
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