Civil Security personnel deployed to the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) office in Katsina State on Monday staged a peaceful protest over months of unpaid salaries, saying they have been forced to borrow money to feed their families while some of their children have dropped out of school because they could no longer afford school fees.
The protesters, who are employed by KAASAQA Global Security Limited, carried placards bearing different inscriptions demanding the payment of their outstanding salaries and calling on the relevant authorities to intervene.
They alleged that they have gone between three and five months without receiving their salaries, leaving many in severe financial hardship.
Speaking during the protest, one of the security personnel, Abdul Muazu, said he was employed by KAASAQA Global Security Limited on a monthly salary of N80,000 but had not been paid for between three and four months.
“I was employed by KAASAQA Global Security Limited with a monthly salary of N80,000, but for about three to four months they have failed to pay me. I had to borrow money to feed my family, while my children have dropped out of school because I cannot afford their fees,” he said.
Muazu, who disclosed that he was a blacksmith before taking up the security job at the NRS office in Katsina, alleged that delayed salary payments had become a recurring problem over the years and had worsened under the current company over the past two years.
“We always lie to our families just to ease the tension at home. We are calling on the relevant authorities to help us secure the payment of our salaries because we protect government assets 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he appealed.
Another protester, Abubakar Abdulaziz, said the workers had not received formal letters confirming their appointments, leaving many uncertain about their employment status.
“I work for KAASAQA Global Security Limited, but our appointments have not been confirmed. At this point, we don’t even know who we are really working for,” he said.
According to him, some workers have gone for as long as five months without receiving salaries.
“For about five months, I did not receive my salary. Whenever we complain, they may pay one month and skip another. We were not paid before the last Sallah celebration,” he said.
Abdulaziz further alleged that when the workers reported the matter to security officials, the company’s head office claimed it did not recognise unconfirmed personnel and was uncertain whether it would continue providing security services at the facility.
He also alleged that the company’s Managing Director told them he was no longer willing to use his personal funds to pay the guards’ salaries.
“We work day and night every day, yet our children have been sent out of school because we cannot pay their fees. We also borrow money just to feed ourselves and our families,” he lamented.
The protesters appealed to the relevant government authorities and the management of KAASAQA Global Security Limited to urgently resolve the matter and clear the outstanding salary arrears.
Efforts to obtain comments from the management of KAASAQA Global Security Limited and officials of the Nigeria Revenue Service were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
