On Saturday in Kano State, police retirees using the Contributory Pensions Scheme staged another peaceful protest against what they called a lack of equity in their pension scheme.
Shortly after their emergency executive meeting at Kano’s Sani Abacha stadium, the police retirees began their protest, emphasising their dissatisfaction with the pension scheme, which is managed by the Pension Commission.
Yunusa Yahaya Madaki (retd. ), the Chairman of the Kano State Chapter of the Nigeria Police retirees on the platform of the Contributory Pension Scheme, led the peaceful protest, alleging that their pension and gratuities are being fraudulently diverted into private pockets.
It should be recalled that the police retirees earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Baba Alkali Usman, and the management team of aiding and abetting the alleged fraud.
According to Madaki, part of their request is seeking the immediate withdrawal of the Nigerian Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme, in line with their counterparts in the army and other sister security agencies.
After 35 years of dedicated service to the nation, according to the protesters, the monthly take-home of a retired officer under the said scheme is very poor.
The state Secretary of Nigeria Police retirees, Kano State chapter, Sa’idu Garba (retd.), claimed that many of them have not been able to meet their family commitments, including other social basic needs, lamenting that they lack the means to settle mere electricity and water bills, noting that many of them have died in the process of battling for their demands and rights.