The Zone Six Police Public Relations Officer (ZPPRO), DSP Nelson Okpabi has said the Zone Six Command of the Nigeria Police was not aware of protest by men and officers under the Zone who protested over non-promotion.
Speaking to newsmen DSP Okpabi noted: “I am not aware of any protest by policemen over non-promotion in Zone 6. Officers and men in the Zone are appreciative of the IGPs magnanimity over the promotion of deserving officers to their new ranks and pray that the tempo will be sustained.”
But aggrieved general duty policemen in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, who were last promoted in 2016 expressed frustration over an alleged refusal of the Police authorities in Abuja to include them in the November 19, 2020 promotion.
Speaking with newsmen, the officers who claimed that they were due for promotion to the rank of Inspector accused the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, of selective promotion, saying the IGP was deliberately sitting on their rights for reasons best known to him.
A spokesman for the aggrieved officers, who gave his name as Augustine lamented their non-promotion, explaining that the officers had nothing incriminatory in their files, and were not passing through any disciplinary measures.
“It was obvious the IGP was deliberately refusing to give us what rightly belongs to us. We were promoted last in 2016 and were due for another promotion to the rank of Inspector last year. On November 19, 2020, the Police authorities released names of those who were promoted and surprisingly our names were not included for reasons we are not told till date.
“There is no disciplinary issue against us. We have complained officially to the authorities and still, nothing has been done. The painful thing is that our juniors have been promoted ahead of us and we are still waiting.
“Nobody has told us anything, no communication, nothing. As the IGP has not told us why we are not promoted, it shows his action is deliberate. People are aggrieved, people are very worried. This has already affected our output.
“At times, one could be willing to put in his best and work but each time his mind wanders to such treatment, it affects him psychologically, affects patriotism, morale, mood, appetite to food and general performance. To be frank, we cannot even sleep at night as our minds continually wander on reasons for such treatment, it is traumatic.
“If you had done something wrong and this type of treatment is meted out as a punishment, you’ll understand but in this case, nobody has told us what our crimes were. There is already a psychological issue, you cannot pretend that all is well when it is not. Communication has reduced, interaction has reduced,” Augustine said.
However, the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nelson Okpabi described the allegation as untrue.
”I am not aware of any officer of the 2016 batch who has not been promoted. They were all captured and there is nobody left. We don’t have any of them in Zone 6 Command, it is untrue. The last promotion captured those who were expecting theirs. Everybody knows his own time”, DSP Ukpabi said.