Nigeria Police Pensioners Remain The Least Paid, As They Protest,  Ask For Withdrawal From PENCOM

Dandam Suleiman

The Plateau State Chapter of Retired Police Officers Nigeria under contributory pension scheme (CPS) has joined Nationwide protest urging the inspector general of police to reverse the decision of holding swore to three different pensions scheme of, “PENCOM, Africa Alliance Insurance scheme” , as they are losing members on daily basis to poor welfare over the non-challenge to their well-being. 

The Police retirees stormed the state headquarters, demanding their rights and seeking the intervention of the National Assembly to rescue their vulnerable members amid the harsh economic situation.

At least over 300 retirees on Monday joined their counterparts across the country pressing home their demand for an improved and better welfare scheme.

However, the retirees who converged at the police Inspectorate Officers in Jos, where all of them were dressed in black attire, demonstrated a sign that they are dissatisfied with the whole treatment.

According to him, the least that ASP and DSP collect as a monthly pension is regrettably insufficient to cover their medical bills and children’s school fees.

The retirees with various inscriptions boldly written: we need total exit from CPS If CPS is good, why are IGP, DIG, AIG exempted? Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop, we are paid 1 million benefit from the federal government and 25,000 as ASP.

We work like an elephant but eat like ants, we have lost three people a few hours before embarking on this protest, and some are hospitalized due to poor condition of living ., as we say no to PENCOM.

The much-anticipated strike by retired and serving personnel of the Nigerian Police commenced in earnest on Monday, with many retired policemen lamenting their present hardship.

The retired officers gathered in front of the Inspectors’ Mess from where they would proceed to the Police headquarters, the governor’s office and the state House of Assembly to register their grievances.

Speaking to newsmen, one of the retired police officers, ASP Abdullahi Yahaya, painted a sorry picture of what retired officers have been passing through.

According to him, after 35   in service and retiring as an assistant superintendent of police, he was paid N1, O63, 000 as entitlements with a monthly pension of N25,000.

Yahaya, who brandished his pays lip before newsmen said, “Look at my payslip. My gratuity was N1, 063,000 and my monthly pension is N25,000. That is after serving for 35 years and retiring as an ASP. We’re over 300 retired officers on  Plateau “.

As at the time of writing, the retired officers are proceeding to the police headquarters to be joined by serving personnel.

However, the retirees, matched to the police headquarters, where the Chairman ElD ,Ayuba  Gora along side his colleagues presented a letter of dissatisfaction over the way and manners PENCOM maltreat their members .

In his letter , which they urged the Plateau State Commissioner of Police,CP Emmanuel Adesina to convey to the Inspector General of Police to look into their grievances.

Meanwhile,in speech the state Chairman of retired police officers of Nigeria Plateau State Chapter lamented that before the protest the lost three of their active members due to poor conditioned of pension scheme .

Ayuba called on the Inspector General of Police to rescue the police retirees from this pathetic situation that they are into , adding , that National Assembly should ahead and implement their earlier decision instead of waiting for response from the police authority.

In his response,the Commissioner of Police, commended them for their peaceful protest that they embarked on which a clear demonstration that they are senior citizens.

He assured of IG prompt response to implement their request through the appropriate channel .

Police strike: I was paid N1,063,000 as benefits, N25,000 as pension, says a retired ASP, Abdullahi Yahaya