The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has met with retired police officers protesting in Abuja over their pension scheme. The meeting, held at the Peacekeeping Hall of the Force Headquarters, followed Monday’s demonstrations at the National Assembly, where elderly retired officers stood in the rain holding placards and chanting songs against the government.
Protest Against Contributory Pension Scheme
The retired police officers are demanding their removal from the contributory pension scheme (CPS), which they claim does not favour them. Some of the protesters also gathered at the Force Headquarters to express their grievances, insisting that the current pension system has subjected them to financial hardship after years of service.
Egbetokun Addresses Concerns
Speaking to the protesters, Egbetokun acknowledged their concerns and assured them that the welfare of retired police officers remains a priority. However, he explained that exiting the CPS is not a decision that can be implemented immediately.
“While the Force is committed to the welfare of all officers, retired or serving, leaving the contributory pension scheme is not something that can be activated overnight,” he said.
Call for Patience and Unity
The Inspector-General urged the leaders of the protest to avoid spreading false narratives that could create tension. He reminded the officers that the Force would not neglect its own and promised to continue engaging relevant authorities to find a fair resolution to the pension concerns.
Bottom Line
Their anger reflects a larger national question: isn’t it shameful that men who risked their lives for the country are now left to suffer in old age? These men once carried guns to protect the same country that now pays them peanuts. How can the police force be efficient when officers know they will end up neglected? If the system fails to protect those who once protected it, incompetence in the ranks becomes inevitable because morale dies the day one realises the country offers no future.
A country that pays its officers so little yet expects so much is planting the seeds of inefficiency. If this neglect continues, public trust in the police will erode further because a frustrated police system cannot give what it does not have.
Until Nigeria learns to respect its officers both during and after service, meetings like this will keep happening, and the anger will only deepen. The presence of Egbetokun at the peacekeeping hall shows the pressure the police leadership is under. But without decisive action, his meeting will remain a sad reminder that retired officers are treated like forgotten tools.
