The ecstatic officers were full of praise and thanks for the commandant general, Dr. Abubakar Ahmed Audi, who they said had kept his pledge to clear the backlog of promotion arrears owed to them within a year of taking office, and expressed satisfaction with the exercise’s success.

The jubilant officers said the payment of the 12 promotion arrears would help them meet some of the most pressing needs of their families. When our correspondent visited the national headquarters in Abuja, some officers who did not want their names in print said; “We are very grateful to the minister of interior who made this happen as well as to our special commandant general whom we have decided to nickname as Ekwueme- ‘Talk and Do’.  It’s very heart-warming as men and officers, some of whom have been in debt can now breathe a sigh of relief as the backlog of outstanding liabilities, such as promotion arrears is being addressed. They have begun the disbursement of promotion arrears to some of us and we hear it is in batches.”
This happened at a time when the affected officers and men, who had waited patiently for a year, had become agitated and disheartened, according to them.

The payments were issued following thorough verification of officers entitled to the promotion arrears, according to DCC Odumosu Olusola, the Corps director of public relations. He went on to say that the corps’ leadership was devoted to keeping its promises and commitments to its employees.

Staff from practically all state commands and the FCT, he claims, have been paid in full so far. He went on to say that Dr. Audi’s decision to offset the one-year arrears was in line with the administration’s welfare program and the realization that the personnel had worked for the entire year without being promoted as indicated in the contract.