Furious Police Retirees Plan Massive Protest Over Unmet Pension Promises

Furious Police Retirees Plan Massive Protest Over Unmet Pension Promises

Police retirees in Kaduna are planning a large-scale protest at the National Assembly, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign the long-awaited Pension Exit Bill.

The bill aims to remove the Nigeria Police from the Contributory Pension Scheme and establish a dedicated Police Pension Board. Retirees fear the promise to pass the bill may be broken as September draws to a close.

In a statement signed by CSP Mannir Lawal Zaria (Rtd), Chairman of the Kaduna State Chapter of the National Union of Police Retirees, and Vice Chairman ASP Danlami Maigamo (Rtd), the union expressed deep concern. They noted the worsening conditions for police retirees under the current pension scheme.

CSP Zaria said,

“Police retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme are dying in large numbers due to poverty and hunger.”

The union stressed that urgent action is needed as the death toll among retirees continues to rise alongside the soaring cost of living.

“We are pleading with the Federal Government to assist police retirees under this scheme before more lives are lost,” Zaria added.

“The government should immediately pay the 2.5% differential, the Federal Government Palliative, three consecutive pension increases, and the new minimum wage.”

The union members, at their monthly meeting last Wednesday at the Police Officers Mess in Kaduna, expressed their shock and frustration over the government’s failure to fulfil its promise.

Many retirees’ blood pressure has reportedly spiked due to the ongoing uncertainty.

The retirees previously staged a peaceful protest at the National Assembly on September 22, 2024.

Senator Ahmed Abdulkadir Malamadori, Chairman of the Senate Committee for Police Affairs, had assured them that the police would be moved to the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) by September 24.

However, as the deadline nears, the promised pension reform has yet to materialise. The Kaduna branch of the union has now agreed to take further action if their demands are not met by the end of September.

The growing frustration among police retirees reflects the broader issue of delayed pension reforms and unmet promises, which have left many former officers struggling to survive after years of service.