The National Union of the Police Retirees, Kaduna State Branch, has arranged for what it called a mother-of-all-protests to remain at the National Assembly until President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signs the Pension Exit Bill.
The Bill to exit the Nigeria Police from the Contributory Pension Scheme and the bill for the establishment of the Nigeria Police Pension Board, as the police retirees are patiently waiting for, and there is the tendency that the promise may not be fulfilled as September is winding up, reports The Nation.
This is contained in a press release signed by the chairman of the Police Retirees Kaduna State Chapter, CSP Mannir Lawal Zaria (Retd) and the Vice Chairman, ASP Danlami Maigamo (Retd) and distributed to journalists in Kaduna.
CSP Zaria (Retd) lamented that the police retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme are dying immensely due to poverty and hunger.
The statement reads: “The union is also pleading that, as the death toll is on the increase among the police retirees under the contributory pension scheme and the prices of commodities of any type are also on the increase.”
“The federal government should come to the aid of the police retirees under the contributory pension scheme before they all perish, by immediately paying the following allowances to the police retirees under the contributory pension scheme.
“Two point five percent differential, the federal government palliative, and three consecutive pension increases by the federal government as well as the minimum wage increase.
“During the Police Retirees, Kaduna State Branch monthly meeting held last Wednesday at Police Officers Mess Kaduna, members became shocked and worried, as there is a sign of unfulfillment of a promise that began to manifest itself because it can be recalled that, on 22/09/24.
“The National Union of the Police Retirees under the contributory pension scheme carried out a nationwide peaceful protest to the National Assembly Abuja.
“During the protest, the Chairman of the Senate Committee for Police Affairs, Senator Ahmed Abdulkadir Malamadori, addressed some of the retirees in his office, where he promised the retirees that, before September 24, they would be exited from the Contributory Pension Scheme to the Define Benefit Scheme (DBS) and that the two police bills would be harmonised.
“Sequel to this, the blood pressure of many concerned police retirees has risen above maximum. Therefore, the Kaduna Branch has unanimously agreed that, if by the end of this September, the Nigeria Police is not exempted from the contributory pension scheme, we shall embark on the mother-of-all protest,” he said.
