A retired police officer collapsed on Thursday at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, during a protest by hundreds of former Police officers demanding the payment of their unpaid pensions and entitlements. The retired officer, who is in his late 70s was revived by security personnel after receiving first aid treatment.
The Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), which was introduced in 2004, helps keep contributions from both the employer and employee into an individual retirement savings account (RSA), replacing the previous non-contributory Defined Benefits Scheme. Police retirees operating under the CPS have consistently complained that the scheme yields meager and often delayed payments, reducing them to poverty despite decades of service.
The protesters, under the umbrella of the CPS Police Retirees Association, are demanding a complete removal from the CPS and reinstatement into the old Defined Benefits Scheme, which they argue provided a more stable post-service welfare structure.
The demonstrators displayed placards with the inscription “We Are Dying in Silence” accusing the Federal Government of abandoning them despite their 35 Years of Service.
The protest temporarily disrupted movement around the complex as hundreds of retirees, dressed in civilian clothes, chanted solidarity songs and held up their placards.
Activist Omoyele Sowore, who joined the previous solidarity protest, called the CPS a fraudulent arrangement, criticizing the government for subjecting the retired police officers to poverty.
He urged retirees across all security agencies and the civil service to unite, emphasizing that the struggle affects everyone.
While the government has generally defended the transition to the CPS as essential for financial sustainability, the operational issues, including delays and inadequate funds in some Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs), continue to generate significant public discontent especially amongst retired police officers.
Leave a comment