Over 500 police pensioners in Nigeria have reportedly died as a result of poverty over the last few decades, according to Lawal Mansir Zaria, the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Police Pensioners Association (NPPA).
Zaria called for a speedy reading of the new pension Bill for retired police officers, which is currently before the Senate. “We are calling on the National Assembly to use the remaining few days in office to approve the new pension scheme for retired police officers,” Zaria stated.
Zaria criticized the current contributory pension scheme for police officers, describing it as “disgusting” and “painful,” given that they have served their country for 35 years meritoriously.
“How can you explain a situation where some of our members received as low as N16,000, N18,000, N23,000 etc as pension every month? When you even think it’s from your own money, it makes one sick,” Zaria added.
He went on to say that “We want all our monies so that one can use it judiciously.” Zaria also highlighted the dire situation faced by many retired police officers, saying that “many of our retirees cannot afford to eat, pay rent, pay hospital bills. Our wives have left us, we can’t control our children. As a result, many of us have died of poverty.”
Zaria further revealed that from 2007 when the contributory pension scheme was introduced to date, over 500 retired police officers have died due to poverty caused by the scheme.
To address the issue, he disclosed that if nothing is done, from Thursday to May 15th, they will occupy the Nigeria police force headquarters in Abuja with their families.
“Even if they’re going to kill us, let us even die in the nation’s headquarters, at least you die where it is well known, and you will get a benefitting burial,” Zaria declared.
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