Activist and former presidential candidate, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, has declined an invitation from Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun for a peace talk, citing the need for a better welfare package for retired police officers.
Speaking exclusively to Persecondnews correspondent at the Police Force headquarters in Abuja on Monday, Sowore said: “We are not here for lectures, we came here to fight and get concrete results, not for meet and greets. Even if we don’t get results today, we won’t back down.
“We want police to be treated well, not just retirees but even those in active service are also included in our demands.”
Sowore’s stance comes as a group of retired police officers, mostly the elderly, gathered at the gates of the National Assembly to protest the poor welfare packages they receive.
One of the protesters, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, Musa, disclosed that he earns a meager N34,000 monthly after 35 years of service.
Musa lamented: “I joined the Police in April 1989 and when I retired, I got only N2 million as gratuity.
“I get only N34,000 monthly every month, and I ask again, what can that money do in this economy? It’s not even okay for me to talk more of my family.”
Isaac Fayose, brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, also weighed in on the issue, calling on the Federal Government to increase the monthly pension package for police officers to N1 million.
Fayose argued that the current pension structure is unsustainable and unrealistic given the current economic situation in the country.
He called for urgent reform to address the plight of retired police officers.
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