Some officers of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have cried out for help.
They lamented over poor welfare and salaries given to them, saying a paltry N44,000 salary, for instance, cannot take care of their families.
They also expressed their frustration over poor remuneration, lack of promotions, non-payment of medical and other allowances and lack of befitting barracks for them to stay.
The workers therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerian leaders to focus on the agency and save it from collapse.
Some of the officers who spoke to SaharaReporters noted that they now took bribes to meet financial needs.
“The officers of the agency are not happy; poor salary structure, no single allowance, some officers barely feed their families, no house rent allowance, no single allowance, no hazard allowance, no transfer allowance.
“As I am telling you, many officers are looking for another job because they no longer see future in the agency. Without some of us taking bribes from drug baron, how can we feed our families with the token called salary?” one of the officers lamented.
“The Chairman/Chief Executive in all his speeches always says his number one priority is his officers, but unfortunately, we the officers don’t benefit anything from him, we do the hard work but he receives the glory, many of our colleagues have been killed,” another officer told SaharaReporters.
Another NDLEA official added, “NDLEA as an agency does not have logistics; no enough rifles, in many commands, they now make use of officers’ personal cars for operations, you will see NDLEA officers very dirty because there is no money to eat, not to talk of buying himself clothes to look neat. We are doing the work but the chairman is getting the glory.”
“Recently, billions of Naira was released for lie detectors, armour tanks when we are not fighting Boko Haram, while the agency is not in good shape, no good salary, no welfare, no rifles; no operational vehicles. As I’m talking to you, many officers couldn’t rent houses; many sleep in the commands.
“Currently, the agency is owing many officers salary since last year 2022, some January salary, some September salary, some November salary, some salaries arrears running to over 10 months. Many have resigned, many are planning to resign, we call on the federal government to come to our aid, we are tired, some of us can’t compromise, that’s why we are voicing out for the federal government to help and look in to our hard work, imagine this high cost of living, someone with family receive N44,000, no house rent allowance, no hazard allowance.
“Our officers are living around the so-called drugs dealers we are fighting against, some of our officers are losing their lives, it’s easy for drug dealers to buzz into our houses and kill us, the government approved billions of naira for NDLEA barracks, till date we can’t see any, no land no barrack, we begging the government for help.”
