By Bello Gideon (SIWES student, AAPOLY)
In a poignant turn of events, Sunday Ogwo Okpalle, a former Two-Star Traffic guard police officer standing at over six feet, now finds himself bent and seeking alms on the streets of Niger.
Once commanding respect in his role, Okpalle, now aged and struggling, recounts how the delay in receiving his pension, coupled with the challenges of life, led him to this desperate situation.
Arewa PUNCH encountered Okpalle at 7 a.m. on a Tuesday, flagging down vehicles and passersby, sharing his plight of not having eaten since the previous night.
The retired officer, with five grown-up children and a wife, revealed that life took a downturn after his retirement in 2018. Despite a gratuity promise of N6 million, Okpalle faced a year-and-four-months of financial hardship.
Struggling on a monthly pension of N31,000, recently increased by a mere N1,000, Okpalle expresses frustration at his attempts to secure employment.
Recalling his service years, he reminisces about the joy of earning N3,000 to N4,000 per day during active duty. However, his retirement process, including delays in gratuity payment, left him grappling with financial challenges.
In a plea to the government, Okpalle hopes for the release of his pension funds and assistance to regain financial independence.
The retired officer, once proud of his service, now finds himself at the mercy of passersby, seeking support for a dignified life for himself and his family.
