Atiku accuses Tinubu of abandoning retired police officers to hardship

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of abandoning retired police officers to suffer in poverty, illness, and humiliation. Atiku alleged that some serving officers are also dipping into their pension funds to provide for their families. He called for immediate action on the Police Exit Bill and an urgent review of salaries for serving police officers, following a recent pay hike for members of the Armed Forces.

In a statement released by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku recounted the case of a retired police officer who receives a monthly pension of N29,000. He also shared the story of a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police who, after decades of service, resorted to menial work to make ends meet. Atiku stated that retired police officers had protested at the National Assembly, accompanied by their families, demanding legislation to enhance their welfare.

He expressed outrage at the treatment of these retired officers, stating that they should be ashamed of the state of affairs. Atiku emphasized that a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police had revealed that his monthly pension is N29,000, questioning how one could live on such a meager amount. He revealed that over 120 members of his association of retired officers have passed away in the past three years.

Atiku recounted how a retired female Assistant Commissioner of Police sought employment to survive and was later found begging at the Central Mosque in Abuja. He expressed relief upon learning her situation was addressed, but stressed that such individual interventions could not replace a stable pension system. Atiku questioned why the officer had to be discovered in distress before receiving assistance and emphasized that no retired officer should ever have to endure such hardship.