Yemi Akinsuyi
15 May 2008
Lagos — Recently, the Esai Dangabar-led Police Pension Office (PPO), embarked on a nationwide payment of gratuities and pensions to retired police officers and men, next of kins, in case of death, and monthly pensions of other retired officers.
For some families, the exercise has given their lives a meaning. Yemi Akinsuyi writes
Borno State Police Command Headquarters, Maiduguri, office of the police pension was filled to the brim as early as 7 am of the first day of payment of the pensions and gratuities to the rank and file of its retired men. Majority of the retired police officers and their next of kins, who were present at the pension office later, went home disappointed when it was obvious that their names were not on the long list of beneficiaries. This development, according to Mrs. Adlyn Asein, one of the three staff of Police Pension Office (PPO), Lagos, sent for the payment of the gratuities, was because "the payment is meant to be done stage by stage. Immediately after this particular payment, another set of retired officers and their next of kin would be paid. These names are for all beneficiaries across the country." The lady called for caution from the already angry retired officers and next of kins, who by now were expecting miracles to happen.
If these people adhered to this caution, one particular old man, who claimed to have retired as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed was undaunted as he said he must collect another entitlement after the first one he earlier collected from Bauchi. "I have been praying and I know that Allah has answered my prayers. I knew he would always do wonders in my life. I received my gratuity in Bauchi State during the last payment exercise. I am from Bauchi State, so when I was told by my friend that my name appeared on the list of those to be paid, I came there and collected the money without any stress.
"I am based in Maiduguri here. Few days ago, someone came to my house to inform me that my name appeared again in Borno State for gratuity. Initially I did not want to bother my head on such information because I thought it was false. I told the fellow that I had already collected my gratuity in Bauchi and that there was no way my name would appear again on their list here.
"After sometimes, I decided to give it a try, surprisingly when I got to this place, I found my name again on the list of those to be paid gratuity and I have accepted it as my own luck. I have been praying to Allah and He had decided to answer me by allowing my name to appear for the second time on PPO list," he said.
All efforts to convince Mohammed that the name was just the same but the AP numbers and other particular of the person is totally from that of his own fell on Mohammed's deaf ears, as he insisted that since the name was the same as his, he must be paid the money.
It took the maturity of the officers of pension office and much explanation from everyone around to convince him that the name was not his and therefore should not be paid the money. While Maiduguri PPO was a bit rowdy because the whole list of names of beneficiaries across the nation was pasted on the wall which made a lot of people anticipated that their names must be there, thereby causing a little row, Gombe was a bit calm and peaceful. The exercise, which many described 'laudable' was smooth except for the few next of kins that came around to collect their dead officer's entitlements.
One of them, Audu Tela, a 39 year old trader and farmer, who was in Gombe to collect his late brother's entitlement, could not but shed some tears when he recollected the mischief that befell his family within the short period of time. He said: "My brother was sick. One day, November 11, to be precise, he sent a message to me that he was ill and needed to see me urgently. The following day, I left my village, Dadia in Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State for Kaduna, where Philip was serving in MOPOL 1.
"But before I could get to the hospital he was admitted, he gave up the ghost on November 13, 2002. I was devastated. At first I did not know what to do. I gathered myself later and was set for his burial. After the burial and while I was still trying to forget the loss, his last baby, who happened to be his only son, died. Philip had two daughters before the boy.
"The pain was too much for us all, including my late brother's wife, as she went into depression that eventually claimed her life. Within a year, we lost three members of our family. We really suffered". The nature of these deaths were still a mystery to this father of three, who said he would not have any more children because he has to take care of his late brother's two daughters.
Audu promised to spend the brother's N.5 million pension to train the children left behind by his late brother based strictly on the family's decision. To late Sergeant Aminu Danbaram's widow, Elizabeth, life has to continue and the struggle to make this happen lies solely on her and her God. Explaining how her husband of seven years died, the 27 years old widow said: "We were all living together in Port-Harcourt, River State, when my husband was suddenly posted to Benin, Edo State. He had to shuttle between Benin and Port-Harcourt. In one of such journeys, after he had visited us in Port-Harcourt, on his way back to Benin, just before Asaba, Delta State, some armed robbers were operating along the expressway.
My husband was in uniform, because he hoped to resume work immediately he gets to his station, unknown to him, the vehicle he was traveling in, ran into the robbers, who immediately opened fire on my husband and he died before he could be taken to the nearest hospital". That was how the mother of two boys, JohnPaul and Francis became the bread winner of the family. It took the special grace of God and the solid support from her mother in-law for her to recover fast.
The same publicity received in Borno were also experience in Bauchi as the police chiefs in charge of the commands of the two states, Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DC) in charge of Borno State Police Command and Mr. Adanaya Gaya, Commissioner of Police (CP), Bauchi State Police Command made sure that the good news spread across the states so that all retired policemen and officers would not be in the dark concerning their entitlement. They used both the local and national media houses to inform the people concerned to come and receive their entitlements.
Peace should be another name for the people of Bauchi as everything went on in order. Although there were very few times of conflict, such were resolved amicably before it degenerated into crises. To say that these retired police officers and their next of kins were happy with the way and manner the exercise was conducted was to say the least smooth.
One of the beneficiaries, Mariam Yahaya, whose husband, Sergeant Yahaya Mohammed, died after a brief illness in Toro, Bauchi State, was full of praise to the officials from PPO for attending to her promptly. The 27 years old mother of four said throughout their eight years marriage, she never worked for a day.
"All my children are with my parents in Bauchi here. I don't work and therefore can not take care of the children, reason why we are all staying with my parents. Immediately my husband died on May 11, 2006, my children and I have been living with my parents and they have been taking care of us including the children's school fees.
"I am very happy now that at least we will be able to do some important things that require money. Since my husband had a girl child, who is now married, the decision to share the money will lie on the Alkali, who would tell us exactly how to share this one million naira. I will use my own share to build a small house for my children and use the remaining one to start a business where I would be able to fend for the children," she said.
Before embarking on this payment exercise, Director, PPO, Mr. Esai Dangabar, had charged all his staff involved in the payment to do so with the fear of God. He warned against any act of corruption or sharp practice and promised to deal with anyone caught in the act. The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the PPO, Mr. Ray Adeh, enjoined the affected staff to discharge their duties efficiently and effectively, "so that God Almighty Himself will reward you abundantly.
"I want you to know that one day you will retire and exactly as you would want to be treated, do so to the people you are going to meet at your respected states. Anything you are not clear about, please let us know in Lagos, so that we can shed light on it for you. We all have to be careful," he admonished.
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