Ahmed Mohammed
28 November 2011
Bauchi — Policemen who retired from the service in 2007 at the weekend protested over what they described as non payment of their retirement benefits by the police authorities.
The protesters, who stormed the secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Bauchi State chapter, called on the Inspector General of Police and chairman of the Police Service Commission to either re-instate them or pay them their retirement benefits.
Spokesman of the group, retired Inspector Barnabas Mida said they were among the 11,000 policemen retrenched in 2007, and that the police authorities re-instated 5,000 of them while the rest of them are yet to receive their retirement benefits.
Inspector Mida, who lamented that the situation is causing them and their families untold hardship, said, “Our children can no longer go to school and we find it difficult to feed or cloth them. We have written several letters to the police authorities in Bauchi and in various states, but we are yet to receive any response. We want the authorities to have the fear of God and reinstate us or pay us our benefits”.
He said some of them served in various state commands, including Bauchi, Katsina, Benue, Taraba, Plateau and the FCT.
When contacted for comments, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Bauchi Command, ASP Mohammed Barau said, “Since they are retired policemen, I can’t tell you anything about them or their flight. Infact I don’t know”.
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