Police retirees say benefits “too poor”

Some senior Police retirees based in Edo have decried what they referred to as “poor retirement benefits” after their service years.

The retirees, who were at the headquarters of the state’s Police Command in Benin, also called on the authorities of the Nigeria Police Force to yank them off the current Police contributory pension scheme.

Retired SP Anthony Nnachor, Chairman, Edo Police Senior Officers Retirees, who led the retirees to the command, claimed that Police retirees were the least paid among security agencies in the country.

He regretted that while the Police was the leading security agency in the country, the welfare of its personnel was not a priority.

According to him, Police retirees deserve better treatment after committing their productive years to the service of the country.

Nnachor alleged that promotion allowance for some retirees promoted in 2017 and resettlement allowances had not been paid, describing the situation as the “highest form of injustice”.

He also appealed to the Federal Government to review the Police scheme and return the pension scheme to the Police-defined benefit of old.

Responding to the retirees’ demands, Mr Miller Dantawa, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations in the state, said that serving policemen were also in pains over the plight of the retirees.

He promised to brief the Commissioner of Police, Mr Philip Ogbadu, who would channel their grievance to the Police Force headquarters in Abuja.