Following the protests embarked upon by the retired policemen, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has told both the federal government and the National Assembly (NASS) to expedite positive action on their demands
MURIC’s Founder/Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, in a statement on Tuesday, noted that retired policemen went on peaceful protest In Abuja on Monday.
MURIC said, “The police pensioners made shocking revelations of despicable packages like N1.8 million and N3.5 million gratuities as well as monthly pensions as low as N45,000 only being received by men who have served the nation for upwards of 35 years. It is, indeed, a national disgrace.”
He expressed concern about “the horrible, disgraceful and inhuman condition to which retired policemen have been subjected,” saying “It is unthinkable to impoverish those who protected the citizens with their own lives to the extent that they are now ostensibly destined to live like paupers for the rest of their lives.”
Akintola stressed that, like the sword of Damocles, the questions of corruption, insecurity, equal rights and justice will continue to dangle over the Nigerian horizon without solution until Nigerian leaders find the courage to make the welfare of both serving and retired security agents their first priority.
“It is a misplacement of priorities to give jumble packages to lawmakers and former governors while policemen’s take-home pay cannot take them home.
“The Muslim Rights Concern is concerned because the sufferings and frustrations of the police have been cascading down to the man in the street. We, the jamaahiir, the masses of Nigeria, the hoi polloi, are the ones who bear the brunt,” he noted.
He added, “We are made to open our car boots a hundred times over, to dip our hands in our pockets at the roar of ‘wetin you carry?’, to pay for pen and paper when we lodge a report at the police station and to spend our hard-earned money before bail is granted even though we are told bail is free. Police suffering ricochets on ordinary civilians.
“We therefore call on the federal government and the National Assembly (NASS) to expedite positive and comprehensive action while meeting the demands of the retired policemen.
“FG must remember that it will be unwise to forget serving policemen and other security agents (soldiers, the secret police and the paramilitary) while meeting the demands of retired policemen. There is an urgent need to uplift all of them now.”
He saluted the heroic role played by the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omowole Sowore and other activists who led the protest, saying “their action should not be misconstrued. It is neither an act of hostility towards the police nor that of intrusion.
“They came out because police suffering affects them just as it affects all civilians. They are the face of the masses. They were at the scenes to boost the morale of the protesting policemen.”
The MURIC boss maintained that the Inspector General of Police deserves a medal for granting audience to the protesters, listening to them and remaining calm throughout the conversation.
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