Sunday Ogwo Okpalle, once a dedicated police inspector in Niger state, found himself transformed by the twists of life into a beggar on the very streets he once patrolled. His years of service were primarily spent as a traffic officer, managing the bustling flows of vehicles in the state.
Fast forward to a Tuesday morning, a reporter encountered Okpalle amidst the daily hustle, trailing after motorists, Keke Napep drivers, and acaba passengers, desperately pleading for financial assistance to meet his basic needs.
Sadly, his appeals often fell on indifferent ears, with some motorists brushing him off as a regular sight, remarking, “Let him go, he begs here every day, he doesn’t even get tired.”
A glimpse into Mr. Okpalle’s life reveals a harsh reality. When interviewed by the press, he shared that the relentless hardships he faced left him with no choice but to resort to begging to stave off hunger.
Despite receiving a monthly pension of thirty thousand naira, he lamented that the irregular timing of these payments exacerbated his struggles.
Highlighting the discrepancy in his financial well-being, Okpalle reminisced about the days when he earned three to four thousand naira daily during his active service.
However, retirement brought an unexpected blow as he found himself without a steady income, resorting to begging just to put food on the table for his wife and five children.
The unraveling of Mr. Okpalle’s financial stability can be traced back to the mismanagement of his gratuity.
He disclosed that after enduring a prolonged wait of one and a half years, he was granted a meager 1.7 million naira instead of the anticipated 6 million naira.
Faced with mounting expenses related to his children’s education and household upkeep, the funds quickly depleted, leaving him with no option but to return to the streets, seeking alms to sustain his family.
In a plea to the federal government, Okpalle appealed for intervention, urging them to expedite the settlement of the remaining portion of his gratuity or provide assistance to lift him out of the abject poverty he currently endures.
His story serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of financial security, even for those who dedicated their lives to public service.
