The order comes a few days after the candidate of African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections, Omoyele Sowore, described as unjust a system where Nigerian policemen who worked for 35 years in service are only entitled to N1.5 million gratuity.
The Nigerian government has ordered a review of the severance packages for retired police officers in the country, SaharaReporters has learnt.
The order comes a few days after the candidate of African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections, Omoyele Sowore, described as unjust a system where Nigerian policemen who worked for 35 years in service are only entitled to N1.5 million gratuity.
President Bola Tinubu said as a follow-up, he would sign an executive order on National Police and Veterans’ Day.
Tinubu promised to set aside a day for the nation to honour the heroism, patriotism, selfless efforts and sacrifices of police officers (both serving and retired) for the common good of Nigerians.
President Tinubu spoke at the formal launch of the Nigeria Police Force Veterans’ Foundation at the headquarters of the Police Service Commission in Jabi, Abuja.
He said, “As the President of our dear country, I will not only give my full support to the Veterans’ Foundation, but will also ensure that such areas like improving the pension and severance package of retired police officers are immediately reviewed to reflect the enormity of their contributions and commitment to our country.
“Also, administrative processes towards issuance of an Executive Order will be immediately initiated to set aside a day, perhaps, 5th March (being today, the launch of the Veterans’ Foundation) or 1st April (being the date that the hitherto existing police forces of Northern and Southern provinces were amalgamated to form a unified Nigeria Police Force), as National Police and Veterans’ Day in Nigeria.”
He said on the day set aside for such an honour, Nigeria will honour the “epic heroism, patriotism, love of country, selfless efforts and sacrifices of our police officers (both serving and retired), for the common good of Nigerians”.
SaharaReporters had reported that the human rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow, took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle to condemn such an unjust system, which he described as unsustainable.
He noted that a state governor who served only eight years maximum is entitled to houses in Abuja and Lagos, change of cars every year, police escorts, annual medicals abroad and all sorts of life pensions, allowances and benefits.
The activist added that an unjust system was not sustainable for the country.
Sowore wrote: "An unjust system remains an unjust system, it remains unsustainable, how on earth could a @policeng that worked for 35 years in service be entitled to only N1.5 Million gratuity?
"Whereas a State governor that served only 8 years maximum is entitled to houses in Abuja, Lagos, change of cars every year, police escorts, annual medicals abroad and all sorts of life pensions, allowances and benefits?
"What a Country! #RevolutionNow."
While featuring as a guest on Arise News Morning Show on Sunday, Sowore who said he did not like the police because of their human rights violations and assault, even against him, added that despite his ugly experiences with the police, he considered the treatment of serving and retired police officers in the country as “unconscionable”.
He said, “It was actually a police officer who stopped me three days ago in Lagos.
“I thought he wanted to shake me down, and when I lowered my glass, he said Mr Sowore, I have something to tell you. Do you know that we are being paid N1.5 million gratuity and I said that must be some very gratuitous insult of a gratuity.
“That was my reply and I started tweeting right from there. It is very interesting that most people didn’t know this. It is also interesting that the police in this country will protect with their lives the people who are underpaying them.
“As I mentioned, an average senator is taking home N15 million a month, he will take a police officer. Do you know how many gratuities of police officers are the one-month salary of a senator? You then go back to governors; they have all the allowances and gratuities that you can’t even finish counting them. The one in Lagos, Tinubu who started it, they had to build a house in Lagos and Abuja.
“In fact, the house in Lagos is so luxurious that he was staying there before he moved to Aso Rock. He is entitled to change of cars every two years, he is entitled to police, DSS, he is entitled to N100 million if he goes for medicals in Nigeria and if he goes abroad, the state will be responsible for that.”
He lamented that states with such ridiculous pensions for their former governors have to spend billions of naira on people “who probably also stole more than enough while in office”.
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