The Association of Retired Police Officers, Kaduna State chapter, has held a peaceful protest at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, seeking for the passage of the Police Pension Bill just like that of other Security Services.
This is coming just as the Senate President Godswill Akpabio has assured the Nigerian Police retirees that the Senate was willing and ready to pass the Police Pension Bill into law on time and transmit same to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
If the Bill is eventually passed into law, the Police retirees will be exited from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for an independent pension board.
Akpabio gave the assurance during the retirees’ protest at the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday.
Senate President Akpabio, who was represented by the chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator AbdulHamid Malam Madori, assured the retired Police officers that once the Senate was through with the 2024 budget defence exercise, it would ensure the passage of the Police Pension Bill, which had already passed the first reading stage.
“The Senate acknowledged the commitment and the sacrifices of the Nigerian Police and we are willing and ready to transmit this Bill to the President to assent on time so that retired Police Officers would enjoy the same benefit with military and other security agencies,” he said.
He commended the peaceful protest conducted by the Kaduna State chapter of the Retired Police Officers at the National Assembly complex and assured them that immediately after the budget defence exercise, they would invite the Inspector General of Police to discuss on how to exit the Police from contributory pension scheme (CPS).
“Due to the seriousness of your matter, the Senate Committee on Police Affairs would invite the IG to the House to deliberate on how to remove the Police retirees from the Contributory Pension Scheme,” he added.
Leading the protest to the National Assembly, the state chairman of the Retired Police Officers Association, CSP Mannir Lawal Zaria (rtd) said the Nigerian Police retirees under the current scheme were dying in silence.
He said the 9th National Assembly passed the police pension bill since June this year in order exit the Nigeria Police from the contributory pension scheme and the establishment of the Police Pension Board but the then President Muhammadu Buhari didn’t assent to the Bill before leaving office.
The leader of the protesting retired Police officers said the living condition of their members was deteriorating and they die daily of simple causes.
“If you look at our numbers here, we are very few because many of us have died already. Those alive are semi-paralysed because of poverty; ordinary malaria they cannot treat. What type of country is this; where are we heading to?
“The most annoying thing again, the Federal Government approved a 2.5% increment of our own money, but surprisingly PenCom refused to pay us by saying they are going to put it in our salary savings account. Is that the right thing? When you are working for somebody, do you turn to be his master?
“Why did the DG PenCom refuse to give us our money, but prefer to put it in our salary savings account? Let the NASS ask this woman. Why is she not ready to pay us our money knowing that everything in the market has increased in price?
“We cannot eat any good food now. We survive by the mercy of God. DG PenCom refused to pay us three increments by the Federal Government, why? Are we not Nigerians?”
He said no Police retiree received any palliatives even when they were the worst hit as far as monthly take-home is concerned, adding that, “we are not leaving the NASS until these requests are met.
“Those of us you see are here by the mercy of almighty God. We are crying before we die, because if we don’t cry, the Federal Government will not know that our members are dying daily. If you retire, you die of hypertension,” he concluded.
