Kaduna State chapter of the Retired Police Officers Association has said seven of its members died within a week due to severe poverty linked to the non-payment of their contributory pensions.
The chairman of the association, CSP Mannir Lawal Zaria (rtd), disclosed this to journalists shortly after their monthly general meeting in Kaduna yesterday.
He said retired police officers were seeking the passage of two bills currently pending in the National Assembly.
These bills aim to exempt the Nigeria Police from the Contributory Pension Scheme and establish the Nigeria Police Pension Board.
CSP Zaria announced that the union plans to stage a peaceful protest at the National Assembly in Abuja next Tuesday.
According to him, the protest is intended to advocate for their removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme and their reinstatement under the Defined Benefit Scheme.
“During the meeting, we received reports of an alarming rate of deaths among police retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme. Within one week, seven retirees were buried due to extreme poverty caused by the scheme,” he said.
He expressed concern over the harsh realities faced by retired officers, stating, “Our children are out of school, from nursery to tertiary institutions. Our members can no longer afford medical expenses, let alone provide for their families. As a result, they have lost all respect from their families.”
In a related development, the retirees accused the Nigeria Police of allegedly planning to introduce a new pension scheme called the “100 and 80% Pension Scheme.”
According to the retirees, the scheme would grant police officers from the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police to Commissioners of Police 100% of their salaries as pension, while officers from Chief Superintendent of Police to Constable would receive 80% of their salaries.”
