The National Union of Police Retirees in Kaduna State has announced plans for a large protest to demand that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sign the Pension Exit Bill.
The bill seeks to remove the Nigeria Police from the Contributory Pension Scheme and create the Nigeria Police Pension Board.
CSP Mannir Lawal Zaria Rtd and ASP Danlami Maigamo Rtd, the chairman and vice-chairman of the Police Retirees Kaduna State Branch, respectively, shared the news in a press release.
CSP Lawal Zaria Rtd expressed frustration, saying, “The retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme are suffering greatly due to poverty and hunger. We are pleading with the federal government to help us urgently.”
He added, “The death toll among retirees is increasing, and prices for basic goods are also rising. The government should pay the two-point-five percent differential, provide federal government palliatives, and implement the pension and minimum wage increases.”
Last Wednesday, during a monthly meeting at the Police Officers Mess in Kaduna, retirees were alarmed by signs that the promised changes might not happen.
On September 22, 2024, retirees held a peaceful protest at the National Assembly in Abuja. Senator Ahmed Abdulkadir Malamadori, Chairman of the Senate Committee for Police Affairs, met with some retirees and promised that the bills would be passed by September 24.
However, as September nears its end, retirees are worried that the promise might not be fulfilled. Lawal Zaria Rtd noted, “Many retirees are extremely anxious. If by the end of this month the police are not exempted from the Contributory Pension Scheme, we will continue with our protest.”
The Kaduna State branch of the union plans to stay at the National Assembly until their demands are met.
