The Association of Retired Police Officers, Kaduna State chapter, has called on the National Assembly to expedite action and pass the two police pension bills before the House of Representatives and the senate into law.

The members who staged a peaceful protest in Kaduna converged at the state police command on Wednesday, to express their grievances over the non-passage of the two bills.

The Chairman of the Association of Retired Police Officers, Kaduna State Chapter, Chief Superintendent of Police (Retd), Alhaji Manir Lawal Zaria while addressing his members lamented that the poor monthly pension received cannot solve their problems.

He explained that the two bills before the National Assembly once passed into law, would address the numerous problems facing the retired officers.

“There are two standing bills at the national assembly in respect of police retiree’s welfare and, one of the bills before the House of Representatives is on exit the Nigerian Police from the contributory pension scheme which has passed the first and the second readings. There was even a public hearing on it.”

“The Second bill which is at the Senate is aimed at the establishment of Police Pension Board to take care of the retired police officers”, he stressed.

Zaria, therefore, called on the members of the National Assembly to pass the two bills before the expiration of their tenure, so that posterity will remember them.

He said further that most of his members cannot afford three square meals, hospital bills and school fees, saying his members rely hundred per cent on the law maker’s efforts to better the living conditions of retiree police officers in the country.

Also speaking, Felicia Moses, a retired superintendent of police explained that during her time in service, she represented police at several games and won gold medals worldwide and attended a peacekeeping in Liberia but now she collects N25,000 as her monthly pension.

” I can’t afford new clothes, can’t pay my children’s school fees, and feeding, can’t afford medical bills”.

Mr Francis Mathias lamented that he received N18, 000 as a monthly pension, saying, he bath with detergent and said he could not afford to attend the burial of his late brother who died recently. (Nigerian Tribune: Text, Excluding Headline)

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