Retired policemen under the aegis of Kwara State Chapter of Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria (ARPON) on Monday, held a peaceful protest in Ilorin, the state capital.
The protesting retired policemen demanded that they be exited from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
They alleged that the scheme was fraught with some challenges since its inception, adding that the retired officers who fall in the category of the pension platform be excused, like those who rose to the position of Generals in the military.
In its stead, the protesters sought the establishment of a Police Pension Board with sole responsibility of overseeing the pension matters of the police as applicable to other security agencies.
The aggrieved retired policemen carried placards with inscriptions such as: “President, NASS and IGP should honorably exempt the police from the CPS,” “Establish Police Pension Board to manage gratuity and pensions”, “Mr President: Improve Police Welfare for effective service delivery”, “If CPS is so good, why did AIGs, DIGs and IGPs exempt themselves from the scheme?”
The chairman of the chapter, Yakubu Jimoh, a retired Chief Superintendent of Police, who addressed his members during the peaceful demonstration to the Press Centre of the state Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ilorin, pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to urgently come to their aid.
Jimoh advocated that the retired police officers should be removed from the contributory pension scheme, adding that the force pension board should be established to manage the pension of the officers.
He further stated that the report of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Services on the Bill for the establishment of Police Pension Board, which public hearing held in November 2024 be released.
Jimoh also called on the federal government and National Assembly to fast-track the legislative process on the disbursement of the N758billion pension shortfall owed security agencies, saying that the retired officers were told that payment was scheduled for June 2025, but wondered the delay experienced in the disbursement.
He appealed to the National Assembly to expedite action on the payment to assuage the suffering of the retirees and improve the retirement welfare of both serving and retired officers
In the letter of agitation, Jimoh said, “Since the inception of contributory pension scheme, it has been one problem or the other. It is unfortunate that officials of the National Pension Commission/Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs), who came to deliver lecture on the workings of the scheme, do not relive their bitter experiences in the hands of their host to their masters when they get back.
“We have always resented this contributory pension scheme, which gratuity and monthly pension is just a pittance and not a living wage. We are all witnesses to the lamentations of the retired police officers on social media.
“Imagine Superintendent of Police being paid N2.4million as his gratuity after 35 years of meritorious service and a paltry N30,000 as monthly pension.
“This, to say the least, is responsible for corruption in the Police Force, as the officers want to make it by all means. From Commissioners of Police down the ladder is lamentations of woe.
“Only the Police “Generalismos”, retired Inspector Generals, Deputy Inspector Generals and Assistant Inspector Generals recently exited the scheme while this agitation was on. They are getting fat pension benefits as the case may be.”
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