A bill to exempt the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) like their counterparts in the military and the establishment of the Police Pension Board is awaiting to be signed into law.
This is as the Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to assent to the bill due to the age-long challenges associated with the pension administration in the Force.
Under the current pension scheme, the take-home pay of Police retirees is unappealing compared to the take-home pay of their counterparts in the military upon retirement.
A retired Policeman, ASP Muhammad Bello Tambuwal, in an interview with a national newspaper, revealed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Deputy Inspectors of Police (DIGs), and the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGs) have all exited from the CPS leaving Officers below from the ranks of Commissioners of Police and below in the scheme.
“The Police play a key role in securing the country but at the end of the day, the officers and men end up as beggars, especially those at the lower levels. Policemen are suffering in respect of their salary. Staying in this PenCom after our retirement is not fair at all.
“I retired from the police as ASP, but they divided my money into four and gave me one quarter, which is not up to N2 million. They gave me N1.75m after serving the country for 35 years. For the pension, they give me N30,000 monthly. How do you think we can cope with this? I have more than N3m in my account, but I have to just watch it, I cannot borrow even N10,000 out of the money.
“So, that was why we went severally to the National Assembly seeking for us to be exempted from CPS, and they have done their own. It is now for the president to sign it. The IGs, AIGs and DIGs have already exempted themselves from the system. They are now enjoying their full benefits. Initially, the police, army and DSS were supposed to enjoy full benefits after retirement.
“But all of us from the level of Commissioner of Police down to constabularies are under PenCom. I wonder how they left and abandoned their children here to suffer, while we are the real field officers. They engaged us in a system that is not fair after convincing us that it is the best.
“So, we are not doing this alone. It is on behalf of all of us and the serving Police officers. Those that are still serving cannot speak up, since they are still working,” he stated.
READ OTHER STORIES:
Hoodlums Invade Rivers State University Female Hostel, Rob Students
Hoodlums Invade Rivers State University Female Hostel, Rob Students
Family of Suspended CBN Governor Seeks Political Solution to Alleged Fraud Case
Subsidy Removal: I’m Scared of FG’s Lack of Plan, Palliative Deceitful, Says Obaseki
IMF Report Highlights Global Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Calls for Reform
