Police officers in the Delta state command have raised the alarm, lamenting and crying the non payment of their January salary. The policemen are accusing the officer in charge of Mechanised Salary Section, (MSS), Mr. Gana Muhammed and the Auditor in charge of police pay office, Delta state police command, Asaba of embezzlement.
In a petition entitled “Re: Conspiracy, Diversion And Embezzlement Of January 2018 Salary Of Policemen In Delta State By OC MSS Asaba And Auditor”, signed by concerned police officers, Delta state command, addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, and obtained by HardReporters, alleged that their January salary have been squandered and appealed to the President to urgently come to their aide and save the situation.
While also accusing the Manager, NPF Microfinance Bank Onitsha, Dominic Ebudi of conniving with Mr. Muhammed and other officers in the command to divert and embezzled their January salary, the officers regretted all efforts and avenues explored to see that their January salary was paid to them have continually failed hence they decided to petition President Buhari.
“Mr. President, we are constrained to appeal to you for urgent intervention through this open letter, to save us from oppressive conduct, hardship and ordeal we are currently faced with in the hands of the officer in charge of mechanized salary section and the auditor in charge of police pay office Asaba.
“Mr. President sir, it will amazed you that all policemen payroll by Mechanised Salary Section (MSS), Asaba through the NPF Microfinance Bank Onitsha and Asaba branches are yet to receive their January 2018 salary due to criminal acts of the officer in charge of Mechanised Salary Section, (MSS), CSP Gana Muhammed and the Auditor who have conspired among themselves and diverted the money meant for the salary.
“The money was lent out on high interest rate to businessmen who are yet or couldn’t return the money to the coffers of the bank for disbursement into various accounts of the affected policemen. This shady deal was carried out with active connivance of some staff of Sterling bank Asaba and NPF Microfinance Bank Onitsha.
“We are suffering and dying in silence, we want our January salary because it is our entitlement, we worked for it. We call on police service commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) to as a matter of importance sanction the officers and bank staff involved in this fraud.” the petition said.
As at the time of filing in this report, the state commissioner of police, CP Muhammad Mustafa and the officer in charge of Mechanised Salary Section, (MSS), Chief Superintendent of Police, (CSP) Gana Muhammed, did not answer to all calls put to their mobile lines
On his part, the Manager, NPF Microfinance Bank Onitsha, Dominic Ebudi, denied any involvement in the alleged embezzlement of the January salary belonging to the policemen, saying that as a matter of fact till date the bank did not received the January salary but only received February which was paid to the policemen while March salary has started trickling in.
“We pay what we received and I can tell you that we got February and we have paid and March is already trickling in for payment. Ours is a medium, and as soon payments hit our portal, immediately we commence payment. We didn’t received January payment. Whether it was embezzled we can’t say please contact the MSS he is in better position to explain to you what happened.” Mr. Ebudi said.
