Esther Salifu
Defying the rain, a group of retired police officers gathered at the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday, demanding immediate removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), which they described as unfair and exploitative.
Clutching placards and chanting solidarity songs, the aging retirees stood resolute under the downpour, asserting that their years of service were being disregarded by a pension system that had failed them.
The CPS is exploitative and unjust. We are here to demand our exit from it,” said retired Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP Manir Lawal.
“We have sacrificed for this country, yet we are left to suffer in retirement.”
Despite the rain, the protest remained peaceful, with security operatives maintaining order and ensuring the demonstration did not disrupt public peace.
The demonstrators insisted they would not back down until the leadership of the National Assembly addressed their concerns, which they said had long been ignored.
Their protest reflects growing frustration among retired officers nationwide, many of whom claim the current pension scheme does not guarantee timely or adequate payments for their upkeep.
