Some retired police officers under the contributory pension scheme on Tuesday, May 21, protested at the National Assembly over alleged several months of unpaid pensions with a call on President Bola Tinubu to remove them from the scheme.
The protesters decried the extreme challenges they endure, saying that the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) has failed to pay their entitlements for several months causing them and their families untold hardship.
The aggrieved retired police officers also wrote a Save Our Soul (SOS) letter to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, calling for an urgent intervention.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Chairman of the retirees, Christopher Effiong said many of their members have developed terminal illnesses and heart attacks as a result of the frustration associated with the scheme.
In a letter dated May 21 and addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the retirees said many of their colleagues have lost their lives due to the prevailing economic hardship.
The letter reads in part: “For over a decade now, Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), have painstakingly, lawfully and peacefully been agitating to be given the rightful placement in the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS), the premises under which most of us enlisted in the NPF which guarantees the of pension and gratuity to an officer upon retirement.
“We believe that our peaceful and legal approach to this agitation would not be taken for granted by you.
“We must also appreciate both the members of the Upper and the Lower Chambers who have also painstakingly taken the matter through several sessions of legislative actions spanning investigative and public hearings.
“And the passage of the Police Exit Bill from CPS (Contributory Pension Scheme) and Police Pension Board Bill in our favour – privately initiated bills by Senator Elisha Abbo and Hon. Francis Waive of the Senate and House of Representative respectively, in the 9th NASS.
“Sir, permit us to intimate our dear Senate President that the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigeria Police Pension Board to handle Pension matters for personnel of the Force and for connected purposes was passed by the 9th Assembly Senate on Tuesday 5th June, 2023.
“Whereas the sister bill to exempt the Police Force from the application of the Contributory Pensions Scheme under the CPS 2014 and for related matters which public hearing was conducted since 22/02/22 by the House Committee on Pensions of the 9th Assembly, came up in the floor of the 10th Assembly on 23rd November, 2023 for harmonization process but is still pending till date.
“The speedy harmonisation and transmission of these bills to the President for assent become absolutely necessary due to very obvious reasons.
“A few of such reasons is the rate at which Retired Police Officers die because of hardship caused by the present economic situation in Nigeria.”
Addressing the protesters, the Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Yunus Akintunde (APC – Oyo Central), said that the bills the protesters referred to are no longer in existence because they were never assented to.
He urged the protesters to create a committee that would join in the joint meeting to create a link between the National Assembly and the retirees so they would be abreast of the actions being taken to resolve the issue.
He however noted that the National Assembly is working to resolve the issues.
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