Abuja Boils as Sowore, Retired Police Protest Pension Injustice

Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general elections, alongside other activists, on Monday led a protest in Abuja in solidarity with retired police officers agitating over poor welfare conditions and inadequate pensions.

The demonstration, which commenced in front of the Inspectors’ Mess, saw the retired police personnel and their supporters bearing placards with inscriptions such as “Pay police a living wage and proper pensions.” From there, the protesters were scheduled to march to the Police Headquarters, the Governor’s office, and the House of Assembly to formally present their grievances.

Central to the protest was the call for the Federal Government to urgently address the dire remuneration of serving and retired police officers, as well as the appalling welfare packages for their families.

Sowore, while addressing the gathering, condemned the meagre earnings of police personnel, describing it as both unjust and dehumanising.

He said: “No policeman in Nigeria should be earning less than N500,000 monthly. That’s roughly $300, which is still meagre by global standards. We are saying enough is enough. We are here to demand better service conditions not just for those still serving but also for retired officers and their families.

It is unacceptable that after serving this country for 35 years, a police officer returns home with a mere N2 million as gratuity. Such treatment is both disgraceful and a betrayal of the sacrifices made by these officers.”

Some of the retired officers, who have already embarked on the proposed strike, shared painful accounts of their post-service struggles.

One of them, retired Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abdullahi Yahaya, lamented the indignities he faces after dedicating 35 years to the Nigeria Police Force. Yahaya revealed that his total gratuity upon retirement was a paltry N1,063,000, and he receives a monthly pension of just N25,000.

Displaying his payslip to journalists as proof, Yahaya said: “Look at my payslip. After serving this country for 35 years and retiring as an ASP, all I got was N1,063,000 in gratuity and I’m paid N25,000 monthly as pension. How does anyone survive on that? This is the reality for over 300 of us who retired on the Plateau.

We deserve dignity in retirement. This is why we are here – to demand justice and better treatment for all retired police personnel.”

The protest reflects the growing frustration among retired and serving police officers over the neglect of their welfare and pensions, despite their years of service to the nation.