naptu2: The police force went on strike in the early 2000s (when Musiliu Smith was Inspector General). They demanded for prompt payment of their Lodging Allowance. They refused to turn up for work and some junior officers interrupted transmission on police radio. Some of the leaders of the protest were later arrested.

It is believed that the strike was one of the reasons why President Obasanjo eventually sacked Mr Smith.

Collins Colz:
ok i did not know about that, but what will happen if the army, airforce and navy decides to go on strike for 2 days?

naptu2:

I doubt that the army would go on strike. They would rather mutiny. That has happened a few times in the past (the most recent case that I can remember occurred when some soldiers alleged that they were not paid their UN allowance. Some soldiers were initially sentenced to life in prison for that mutiny).

DonColz1:
you are just assuming, are you trying to say that the security forces can never go on strike What of if jonathan refuses to pay the security forces (army, navy and airforce) for one month, don't you think that they would go on strike

Collins Colz: Am just wondering because have only seen ASUU, medical doctors and others going on strike, but am yet to see the police force, army, airforce and navy going on strike.
so what will happen in nigeria if the security forces decides to go on strike

Idi Amin: And what difference will it make if they go on strike? It's an undisputable fact that every Nigerian is a protector of him/herself so they can go to he ll for all I care


By the way, OP, please edit that "GOES" of yours, it's embarrassing

naptu2:

They will not go on strike, they will mutiny.

Think about it this way. You have guns, bombs and tanks. You have power. You can actually change the government and get away with it. Why will you stop at a strike?

Won't you take your guns into town, block traffic, etc, like the soldiers in Ilorin did?

I hope you know that, in the armed forces, a mere strike is = mutiny, so why will you stop at a strike?

Collins Colz:
you did not get my point, you know we are in a democratic country, so we assume that the military cannot take over for now, now we assume that Jonathan just all of a sudden decides not to pay the military (based on assumption) don't you think they would go on strike Note- we are just assuming, because you know in a democratic nation the military can never take over, e.g Usa

PANIC IN AKURE AS SOLDIERS EMBARK ON STREET PROTEST

Panic gripped residents of Akure, the Ondo State capital on Friday as hundreds of soldiers from the 323 Artillery Regiment, Akure embarked on a violent demonstration.

The ever busy Akure-Ondo Road was deserted as the rampaging soldiers made bonfires on the highway. Our correspondent gathered that the mayhem was due to the non-payment of the soldiers who served in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia.

There was fear in other parts of Akure as residents stayed indoors on hearing that soldiers were on a public protest. The protest, which started around 3p.m, lasted till 6p.m, as the soldiers who were chanting war songs forced motorists coming into Akure to turn back. They also stopped motorists travelling outside the state capital.

The protesting soldiers said that they were not paid $1,228 monthly allowance which was approved for them by the UN. They alleged that they were being underpaid by the Nigerian Army.

The soldiers alleged that a female officer, who served in the peacekeeping operation, simply identified as Helen, died as a result of the sickness she contracted during the assignment. They said that she died because she could not afford money to treat herself since she was denied her entitlements. The rampaging ex-peacekeepers disobeyed their Commanding Officer, Lt-Col Gabriel Umelo, and also threatened to deal with him.

[size=14pt]Praise The Guts Of Some Some Junior Police Officers[/size]

By

Farouk Martins, Omo Aresa

faroukomartins@aim.com

 

 

The Nigerian Police Force has just earned the inglorious title of the most corrupt entity in the Country. You may then wonder why anyone would sing their praises. In spite of what I had written and will continue to write about them in the past, we have to look deeper and sort out whom amongst them can salvage the Police Force. A deeper reflection into their ranks shows some junior officers trying to break the yoke at the risk of their livelihood or even their life in term of facing friendly fire.

 

These junior officers came out openly and complained that they were making returns to senior officers. They went further and claimed they had to pay to get assigned to “juicy” posts, take care of the maintenance of vehicles and equipments. Moreover, if any of them is injured or killed on the job, they have to take care of his/her family. Their allocations meanwhile were tied up in freezers, televisions, mattresses, foreign banks and local investments by crooks.

 

As if nobody noticed them, they said all these in a Congressional hearing for the whole Country to hear their plight. The papers and electronic media carried the news, yet nobody tried to figure out who these senior officers are but we heard that some junior officers were dismissed for taking 20 naira bribe on the road. Who are the senior officers collecting thousands and millions of naira in twenties? Until we fish them out corruption will persist in the Police Force.

 

The junior officers had threatened strike action because of unpaid allowances and poor working conditions. When they finally went on strike, Musiliu Smith’s head rolled; a first. Since then not much has changed but money and new recruits have been injected. We had gotten a glimpse of how the money collected on behalf of our police was concentrated in the hands of Tafa Balogun. Ribadu dealt with him accordingly and was disgraced out in the open in spite of the backing of some former police bosses. So, that Musiliu Smith was retired because of that strike and not for corruption, made Lagosians proud and he was given a rousing welcome back home.

 

A few years ago, policemen were deployed to Benin City to return a state of chaos created by armed robbers, indiscriminately dispossessing people of their hard earned money. They were raping girls and women just as they have done in many cities across the Country. The police took charge alright but they had no place to sleep. Our policemen were making boxes to camp on the streets while their administrators were counting money in their air-conditioned offices.

 

Sometimes we get the most useful gist from lower cadre staff like drivers and orderlies, some of whom fleece their bosses the same way, but they got wiped out. As individuals, we may need to start asking about the heroes among them living near to us and give whatever we can. It may not be money all the time, materials and empathy may be a way of appreciation. It is easy to give to beggars on the street, what about those too ashamed or too proud to beg?

 

Some of these junior police officers are university graduates who decided to join out of a mission or to be gainfully employed. Indeed people like Ojukwu who joined the army in those days were not expected or welcomed there. Ribadu was also a road junior officer at one point on the street of Lagos. While there are still hooligans recruited into our Police Force, we also have some fine junior officers.

naptu2: while the soldiers in Ilorin were punished for
failing to report that they had been overpaid).

[size=14pt]Nigerian Army Pardons Akure 27[/size]

From Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

03 Dec 2010

The Nigerian Army yesterday took a landmark decision to pardon the 27 soldiers attached to the 323 Artillery regiment, Owena Barracks, Akure, Ondo State, who were sentenced to life imprisonment last year and later had the sentences commuted to seven years jail terms.

The soldiers had been imprisoned in April last year following a court martial that found them guilty of mutiny after they had protested the non-payment of their allowances upon completion of their United Nations Peace Keeping assignment in Liberia in 2008.

In a statement signed by the Director Information of the Army public Relations unit Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, the army stated that their prison sentences had been commuted to discharge from the military service.

The army added that the decision to release the soldiers was taken during a meeting of the Army Council, which sat in Abuja yesterday.

Reacting to their pardon, counsel to the soldiers Mr. Femi Falana expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the council’s deliberation, adding, “I rejoice with the Akure 27 and congratulate the military authorities for revisiting the case.”

He stated that their imprisonment was clearly a case of gross injustice that needed to be revisited. “I am happy it was revisited,” he said.
Olukolade further confirmed that the Army Council approved that the soldiers be paid all their entitlements while those entitled to pension among them will also receive their dues accordingly.

The affected soldiers  include  Sergeant Akwara Oliver, Corporals Princewell Onwunare, Paul Maikudi and Abass Salisu, Lance Corporals Okani Pope, Lawal Abubakar, Pascal Stephen, John Felix, Yomi Ibukun, Loveday Mmapie, Umar Abdulkadir, Musa Salisu and Innocent Egbuna,  Lance Corporals Wanogho Shedrack and Bello Zaharaeed,
Others are Privates Chukwudi Onwukanjo, Jonathan Komo, Samuel Ogbe, Esther Nkawor, Mary Idoko, Olanihun Yetunde, Anthogan Jonathan, Salisu Ibrahim, Aderaloye Olal-ekan, Kabiru Mohammed and Anukan Kelechi.
Investigations showed that the decision to pardon the soldiers was in response to predominant feeling in the army that the issue of the soldiers referred to as the ‘Akure 27’ be revisited.

Their case was also helped by the unwavering determination of their counsel to secure their unconditional release.Falana had on October 7, 2010 written a petition to the Army Council appealing for a review of their case.
A copy of the petition made available to THISDAY last night, showed that Falana had advised his clients (the 27 soldiers) to withdraw their case from the Court of Appeal, because he was confident that the new leadership of the Nigerian Army will do justice to their case.

The 27 soldiers had served in the 15th battalion of the United Nations Mission in Liberia, and had demonstrated openly in the streets of Akure over the non-payment of their allowances after concluding their operations in Liberia.

The soldiers were said to have been owed about six months’ salary arrears worth about $1,228 a month. However, their action backfired as their protest was considered a willful violation of military rules, and were consequently arrested and charged before a military court led by Brigadier General Ishaya Bauka.
The court found them guilty of mutiny in violation of  Section 52(2) of the Armed Forces Act and sentenced them to life imprisonment in July 2010.

But their sentences attracted public condemnation and was later reviewed and commuted to seven years by the Army High Command this year because of the plea by the embattled soldiers for mercy.

In another development, the Army Council also approved the promotion of senior officers in the cadre of generals. The officers are expected to be decorated with their new ranks shortly as this marks the end of Nigerian Army promotion exercise for the year.    

Those promoted include two General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Brigadier General M.D Abubakar of 2 Division and Brigadier General K.T.J Minimah of 81 Division.
Others are Commander Corps of Signals, Brigadier General O.A.C Ariahu, Commander, Nigerian Army Armoured Corps, Brigadier General A.B Marwa, Dire-ctor, Military Intell-igence, Brigadier General S.Y Audu, as well as Commander, 23 Brigade, Brigadier General J.O Nwaogbo.

The Deputy Comman-dant, National Defence College, Brigadier General O.S Adeosun, Director, Army Finance and Acc-ounts, Brigadier General A.I Muraina and chairman Military Pensions Board, Brigadier General B.T Kwaji were also elevated to the rank of major generals.  The Commander, Guards Brigade, Colonel E.J Atewe was promoted brigadier general.

Similarly, the Nigeria Air Force promoted 11 Air Commodores to the rank of Air Vice Marshals, 36 Group Captains to Air Commodores, and other 29 to group Captains.Among those promoted air vice-marshals are Christian Chukwu, while a one-time Nigerian Air Force spokesman, Emeke Ozoemena, was among the 36 senior officers promoted to the air commodore cadre.

DonColz1: Ok the soldiers went on strike and they were given life imprisonment, but that was in ondo state only, now imagine if it was nationwide, i mean the whole of nigeria, are you trying to say that they would imprison all the whole soldiers in Nigeria?, that is impossible nah, we are in a dynamic world, infact everything is changing. I want to ask you a question, did anybody ever believe that the medical doctors will go on strike?
Did anybody ever believe that jonathan would order the federal universities to open without ASUU?
Did anybody ever believe that they would release asari dokubo?
So you see anything can happen, don't be surprise when jonathan will wake up one day and decide not to pay the military,
Or don't you use to hear when jonathan would say that Nigeria has no money?

naptu2:

The soldiers did not go on strike, they mutinied (going on strike implies that they simply refused to work. They went on a violent protest). Soldiers will not go on strike in Nigeria. They will not simply refuse to work. They will either lay their complaints through established channels or they will mutiny (that is, go on a violent protest or even overthrow the government). They know the consequences of a mere strike, why strike when you can use force of arms?

DonColz1:
ok thats your own point of view, so are you trying to tell me that if they don't receive their salary for 4 months like ASUU, they would still not go on strike?

naptu2:

I've already answered that question. I'll ask you a question instead. What's the difference between a violent mutiny and a strike?

naptu2:

I've already answered that question. I'll ask you a question instead. What's the difference between a violent mutiny and a strike?

nutty_hnic:

Forget that guy, hes probably 16, imagining things in his tiny teenage brain.

Cant he read examples you gave him....how in Gods name will security forces go on strike....the army??
This is a dumb thread.

Infact raggedy ann gave a conclusion to this thread. They r not allowed to since they are essential services.

The army would rather take over the government.