Retired Police Officer Collapses as Aggrieved Ex-Police Personnel Protest Unpaid Pensions at National Assembly.
A retired police officer collapsed on Thursday at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, as hundreds of former Nigeria Police Force personnel staged a mass protest over the non-payment of their pensions and entitlements.
The retirees many frail and elderly gathered at the main gate with placards reading “We Are Dying in Silence,” “Pay Us Our Pensions,” and “35 Years of Service, Nothing to Show.” Their demonstration briefly disrupted movement around the complex as they chanted solidarity songs and accused the Federal Government of abandoning them.
Eyewitnesses told SaharaReporters that a retiree in his late 70s suddenly slumped while chanting. He was revived after first aid was administered by security personnel.
Operating under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) Police Retirees Association, the protesters said they had been reduced to hardship despite serving the country for over three decades. They demanded to be removed from the CPS which they described as exploitative and reinstated into the old Defined Benefits Scheme that guaranteed stable post-service welfare.
Their action follows a similar protest in October, which saw human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore join them in solidarity. Sowore had called the CPS a “fraudulent arrangement” and criticised the government for subjecting retirees to poverty.
“I’m not just fighting for the police; I’m fighting with retired police officers,” Sowore told the crowd. “Those holding your destinies must know Nigerians will not continue to suffer in silence.”
He also urged retirees across all security agencies and the civil service to unite, saying the struggle affects everyone.
A retired police officer collapsed on Thursday at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, as hundreds of former Nigeria Police Force personnel staged a mass protest over the non-payment of their pensions and entitlements.
The retirees many frail and elderly gathered at the main gate with placards reading “We Are Dying in Silence,” “Pay Us Our Pensions,” and “35 Years of Service, Nothing to Show.” Their demonstration briefly disrupted movement around the complex as they chanted solidarity songs and accused the Federal Government of abandoning them.
Eyewitnesses told SaharaReporters that a retiree in his late 70s suddenly slumped while chanting. He was revived after first aid was administered by security personnel.
Operating under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) Police Retirees Association, the protesters said they had been reduced to hardship despite serving the country for over three decades. They demanded to be removed from the CPS which they described as exploitative and reinstated into the old Defined Benefits Scheme that guaranteed stable post-service welfare.
Their action follows a similar protest in October, which saw human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore join them in solidarity. Sowore had called the CPS a “fraudulent arrangement” and criticised the government for subjecting retirees to poverty.
“I’m not just fighting for the police; I’m fighting with retired police officers,” Sowore told the crowd. “Those holding your destinies must know Nigerians will not continue to suffer in silence.”
He also urged retirees across all security agencies and the civil service to unite, saying the struggle affects everyone.
Retired Police Officer Collapses as Aggrieved Ex-Police Personnel Protest Unpaid Pensions at National Assembly.
A retired police officer collapsed on Thursday at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, as hundreds of former Nigeria Police Force personnel staged a mass protest over the non-payment of their pensions and entitlements.
The retirees many frail and elderly gathered at the main gate with placards reading “We Are Dying in Silence,” “Pay Us Our Pensions,” and “35 Years of Service, Nothing to Show.” Their demonstration briefly disrupted movement around the complex as they chanted solidarity songs and accused the Federal Government of abandoning them.
Eyewitnesses told SaharaReporters that a retiree in his late 70s suddenly slumped while chanting. He was revived after first aid was administered by security personnel.
Operating under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) Police Retirees Association, the protesters said they had been reduced to hardship despite serving the country for over three decades. They demanded to be removed from the CPS which they described as exploitative and reinstated into the old Defined Benefits Scheme that guaranteed stable post-service welfare.
Their action follows a similar protest in October, which saw human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore join them in solidarity. Sowore had called the CPS a “fraudulent arrangement” and criticised the government for subjecting retirees to poverty.
“I’m not just fighting for the police; I’m fighting with retired police officers,” Sowore told the crowd. “Those holding your destinies must know Nigerians will not continue to suffer in silence.”
He also urged retirees across all security agencies and the civil service to unite, saying the struggle affects everyone.
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