Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general elections, Omoyele Sowore, on Monday joined forces with other human rights activists to lead a mass protest in Abuja alongside retired police officers, demanding better welfare and immediate exit from the contributory pension scheme.
The protest, which began with a convergence at the National Assembly complex, was spearheaded by members of the Nigerian Union of Retired Police Officers, who expressed their frustration over what they described as a “discriminatory and dehumanizing” pension arrangement.
They lamented that many of their colleagues had died in penury due to irregular and inadequate pension payments.
Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, the retirees insisted on being removed from the current contributory pension scheme, which they claimed has impoverished them after years of dedicated service to the nation.
“We served this country with our lives, and this is how we’re repaid—with a system that doesn’t care if we eat, pay rent, or die in silence,” one of the retirees told journalists at the protest ground.
The demonstrators threatened to continue picketing critical institutions, including the National Assembly and the Force Headquarters, until their demands are met.
Meanwhile, the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) has condemned the protest, calling it an attempt to undermine the authority of the Inspector General of Police and tarnish the image of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The PCRC urged the retirees to return to the negotiation table, assuring them that dialogue remains the best path toward resolving the impasse.
Despite the warnings, Sowore and the protesting officers maintained their stance, declaring that their fight is not political but a call for justice and human dignity.
