By Okechukwu Nwanguma
It is a profound indictment of governance when those who dedicated their lives to protecting citizens are compelled, in retirement, to take to the streets in protest.
The planned nationwide action by retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force under the Police Retired Officers Forum (PROF) is not just another demonstration – it is a cry for justice from men and women who once bore the burden of national security.
At the heart of their grievance is the continued delay by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in assenting to the bill passed by the National Assembly seeking the exit of police personnel from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). Despite sustained agitations, repeated appeals, and even warnings of industrial action, the government has remained unresponsive.
This silence is troubling.
Retired police officers are not asking for privilege; they are demanding fairness. The peculiar nature of policing – marked by hazardous duties, irregular career progression, and limited opportunities for supplementary income – makes their post-service welfare a matter of moral and national obligation. Subjecting them to a pension scheme widely perceived by them as inadequate, while ignoring legislative efforts to address their concerns, reflects a troubling disconnect between policy and lived reality.
What makes this situation even more disturbing is the broader context. This is a government that has shown the capacity to act swiftly when political interests are at stake, yet appears lethargic when confronted with issues affecting the welfare of those who served the nation with loyalty and sacrifice. Such selective urgency feeds the perception of an administration more attuned to partisan priorities than to the legitimate needs of its citizens.
The planned protest, with its resolute theme – “No Retreat, No Surrender Until Our Demands Are Met” – should not be dismissed as mere agitation. It is the culmination of years of frustration, neglect, and broken expectations. That retired officers must now mobilise funds, organise delegations, and prepare for peaceful protest underscores how far the system has failed them.
Beyond the immediate issue of pension reform, this development carries wider implications for policing and national security. Morale within the serving ranks is inevitably affected when officers see how their predecessors are treated after retirement. A system that neglects its veterans sends a dangerous message to those still in service – that their sacrifices may ultimately be disregarded.
No serious security reform can succeed on such a foundation.
The government must recognise that addressing the welfare of police retirees is not an act of charity; it is a strategic investment in institutional integrity and national stability. Assenting to the bill would not only resolve a long-standing grievance but also signal a commitment to justice, fairness, and respect for service.
The alternative – continued delay and indifference – risks deepening discontent, eroding trust, and normalising a culture where even those who enforced the law must resort to protest to be heard.
Nigeria can, and must, do better.
When those who once stood for the nation are forced to stand against it in protest, the problem is no longer theirs – it is ours. #Securitynewsalert.com
#OkechukwuNwanguma is a human rights activist and Executive Director of #RULAAC
#protest #governance
