Officers of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LNSA), a state-owned paramilitary security group, have been denied uniforms befitting their ranks months after promotion.

The delight of a military or paramilitary officer is the respect that their uniform commands when they are wearing it, whether in public or within the confines of their office.

One of the affected LNSA officers who spoke with FIJ anonymously said that officers in the agency who were promoted from Level Nine upwards had not received new uniforms to distinguish their ranks.

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He explained that this has made it difficult to distinguish officers on Level Nine and other superior ranks, unlike in sister agencies such as the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO), where the distinctions are evident.

The officer also said that while the promotion had been implemented financially and notionally, they were unhappy as they had not been provided with uniforms.

“Officers who were on Level Eight of the Neighbourhood Corps Officer (NCO) 1 and were promoted to Senior Neighbourhood Corps Officer (SNCO), Level 10, have not received uniforms distinguishing their ranks,” he told FIJ.

“This is also true for those on Level 12 and beyond. They are still using their Level Nine rank uniforms. As we speak, the agency does not have ranks designed for Level 10 to Level 17.

“The rank has taken effect financially and notionally, but the agency has refused to allow officers to wear their new rank insignia on their uniforms, unlike our sister agencies like LASTMA, KAI and VIO.

“Our promotion is only on paper, but it is not reflected on our uniforms.”

He said since they were recruited in 2017, they only got two pairs of trousers, five tops, two caps and one boot.

The officer said that colleagues have been buying their kit, especially the trousers, by themselves.

“Since we got the job right in 2017 still date only the two pairs of trousers, five tops, two caps and one boot we were given after recruitment, officers have been buying uniforms and boots for themselves, especially the trousers,” he explained.

“This is why you see officers with worn-out tops and they cannot be replaced easily because of the features on them.”

Rank designations of officers in LNSA.

Another officer at the agency, who is on Level 12, told FIJ that after it became clear that LNSA wouldn’t be procuring uniforms for them, some officers chose to procure them for themselves. He said that the agency forbade them from wearing these uniforms.

He also added that the lack of distinctions in rank uniforms has bred disrespect within and outside the agency.

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“For other officers, they keep using their old ranks and in some cases, they buy the ranks to align with their new promotion status but are told not to use them for reasons best known to the agency,” he said.

“However, this has affected me in the sense that when a junior colleague meets you, instead of saluting you, he or she will look away, thinking you’re their junior. Or, when you give directives, these directives are taken for granted, which has led to a certain level of setback on the job.

“Also, when on assignment with other law enforcement agencies like LASTMA or the Police Force, you are not treated based on your status but rather below your status, based on the fact that your rank is not a true representation of your level on the job.”

When FIJ tried to reach Ifalade Ajasa Oyekan, the general manager of LNSA, for a reaction via phone calls on Tuesday. Both phone numbers found on the agency’s website were switched off when FIJ called on Tuesday. Oyekan also did not respond to texts and WhatsApp messages sent to him on the same day.

On Wednesday, FIJ repeated the same process with a post on X at 2:41 pm. There was no response at press time.
The post LNSA Promotes Officers Then Denies Them Uniforms With New Ranks appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.