Some aggrieved officers and men of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Plateau State Command have protested alleged inconsistencies and contradictions in the recent promotion exercise conducted by the agency.
The source revealed, learnt that the affected officers cut across the 36 states of the federation including those at the international airports, seaports and other strategic locations.
It was learnt that the current chairman/chief executive officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) on assumption of office constituted the Promotion and Harmonisation Committee under the chairmanship of his special adviser, Col Yakubu Bako (rtd).
It was gathered that the committee jettisoned the agency’s scheme of service 2019 and condition of service 2019. A development which did not go down well with the affected officers. According to them, the committee derailed from its mandate, and what it produced was a sham.
Some of the affected officers who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity in Jos alleged that the invocation of Federal Character in promotion of Chief Superintendent of Narcotics (CSN) GL 13 to Assistant Commander of Narcotics (ACN) GL 14, which hitherto, has never been the case has favoured a particular geo-political zone.
They explained that the committee promoted some personnel that have not been pegged to the next rank ahead of those that have been pegged adding that as a matter of fact some have been awarded double promotion, from Superintendent of Narcotics (SN) GL 12 to (ACN).
Some personnel were promoted ahead of their seniors, example Narcotic Assistants (NA) GL 05 to Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics II (ASN II) GL 08 while leaving out those on the rank of Senior Narcotics Agents (SNA) GL 06 without any promotion, making their juniors, now their seniors.”
The officers further argued that some of their colleagues who have passed their conversion exams in 2010 and ought to have been on the rank of SN are left at deputy superintendent of Narcotics (DSN) GL 10, effectively losing a rank stressing that some with lower entry qualifications were given more preference over those with higher qualifications.
They were also angry that some of their colleagues who have university diploma whose entry rank was senior narcotic agent (SNA), have been promoted to assistant superintendent of narcotics II (ASN II) GL 08 while others to assistant superintendent of narcotics I (ASNI) GL 09. They added that those with relevant national diplomas from polytechnics were left out.
According to them, after acknowledging the errors in the promotion exercise, the chairman/chief executive officer Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa retd constituted a review committee in July 2021, with a time frame of four weeks, to submit their findings and recommendation adding that up till now nothing has been heard about them.
The officers appeal to the chairman and chief executive officer of the agency to as a matter of urgency look into this abnormality and discrepancies with a view to addressing them and ensure justice for all.
