The House of Representatives on Wednesday urged Police authorities to probe issues of unpaid entitlements of dead officers and men of the force to their relatives.
This followed a motion by Oghene Egoh, which was unanimously adopted through a voice vote.
In the motion, Egoh recalled that the Police had disclosed that the entitlements of over 3,000 personnel who died in active service over the years had not been paid to their relatives.
He said that the disclosure called for urgent attention.
Egoh expressed concern that the dependent relatives of the deceased officers had been unable to pay their rents and school fees for their children as a result of the non-payment of the entitlements.
He added that the situation had also made it difficult for the dependants to feed and provide for other necessities of life in the face of the harsh economic condition in the country.
He said that the reason given by the police for non-payment of the entitlements was that the insurance companies were not paid premium to cover the police personnel.
In his contribution, Jones Onyereri expressed displeasure over the treatment being meted to bereaved families of dead police personnel.
Onyereri said: “I think this is most unfair; I believe that the Committee on Police Affair should look into the police budget and ensure persons affected are adequately compensated.”
Other legislators highlighted the demoralising effects of non-payment of entitlements of personnel who died in the line of duty on those still in active service.
The House therefore called on the Police Service Commission and the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the matter with a view to ensure the payment of the entitlements within the shortest time possible.
It mandated its Committee on Police Affairs to ensure implementation of the resolution and report back in four weeks.
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