By Alice Etuka, Abuja
Some retired officers of the Nigerian Police Force besieged the National Assembly over unpaid pensions.
The retired officers in their protest on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 said the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) had failed to pay their entitlements for months, which caused hardship on them and their families.
The retirees therefore demanded that they be removed from the contributory pension scheme.
In a letter dated May 21 and addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the retirees said many of them have lost their lives due to the prevailing economic hardship.
The letter read in part:
“We believe that our peaceful and legal approach to this agitation would not be taken for granted by you,” the letter reads.
“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 hearings, public hearings.
“And passage of the Police Exit Bill from CPS and Police Pension Board Bill in our favour, privately initiated bills by Sen. 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.”
In his response, Deputy Chair of the Senate Committee on Police, Yunus Akintunde assured them that the National Assembly was s working to resolve the issue.
