- •Hold prayers
Association of Retired Police Officers, Kaduna State chapter has called on President Bola Tinubu to accent to the Police Pension Bill passed by the Ninth National Assembly.
The retirees made the call in Kaduna yesterday during an inter-faith prayer held for Nigeria and the President Bola Tinubu administration.
The retired force personnel had written several times to the lawmakers demanding exemption from the police Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), a programme they claimed have impoverished them and their families.
The Ninth Senate had proposed the payment of 75 per cent to retirees as lump sum on attaining the retirement age, to bring respite to distressed retirees.
Vice Chairman of the retirees under CPS, CSP Mannir Lawal (rtd) said the hope of most of their colleagues was kindled upon hearing that the bill had been passed by the Senate and that they are waiting for the approval of Mr. President so they could get their entitlements and take proper care of themselves and their families.
The chairman further said the contributory scheme has done more harm to them than good, adding that the association has recorded no fewer than 500 deaths since 2007 due to the hardship imposed on them by the agency.
He said they had hope in the Tinubu administration, following some critical steps the government had taken so far.
They urged the president not to listen to the pension operators or take advice from external forces, stressing that as a former governor and lawmaker, he understands the plights of people on such condition and so they will continue to pray for him to succeed as the 16th president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.