Retired Senior Police Officers Besiege PSC Over Poor Retirement Benefits
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
A Delegation of retired senior Police Officers in Nigeria have appealed to the Police Service Commission (PSC) for quick intervention to rescue them from abandonment and poor retirement benefits.
The delegation, according to a statement on Thursday by PSC’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, were members of the Police College Ikeja 1986 CADET ASP Course 14 led by DIG Maigari Dikko.
They had come to felicitate with their own, DIG Taiwo Lakanu, who was recently appointed by President Bola Tinubu, as Honourable Commissioner in the Commission.
The visitors complained that the Police they served with all their might have continued to degenerate with “our policemen now more in private homes than in the streets.”
They lamented that retired Commissioners of Police till date receive about N73,000 as monthly pensions while their counterparts in the military are paid upwards of N300,000, stressing that in other countries “pension entitlements are always the same for the military and police officers”.
They feared that the situation if not quickly reversed will constitute a serious security threat.
The delegation said the Federal Government should also quickly withdraw the several police officers in private homes and free them to help secure the nation and effectively occupy the public space.
“The PSC should Intervene quickly; there are many policemen in private homes and land grabbers have continued to use them to molest and intimidate opponents”, they said.
The Commission Chairman, DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd), who joined DIG Lakanu to receive the team, pledged the commitment of the Commission to restore the glory of the Nigeria Police Force both serving or retired.
DIG Argungu noted that some of the retired officers will be engaged by the Commission to serve in its Quality Assurance Unit so that they bring their experience to bear on how the Commission manages the personnel of the Police.
He also assured them that they would also be encouraged to enjoy the benefits of having their children recruited into the Police either through the Police Academy Wudil Kano or through direct recruitment.
DIG Argungu said the retired officers are veritable assets needed for nation building. The host, DIG Lakanu, told his course mates that they have gotten another home with his assumption of duty in the Commission.
“We are course mates, we will remain close friends, we will bring some of you here and together we will make this place better”, Lakanu said, adding that the Commission will see how it can Intervene to help change the poor retirement benefits of members. Some other Members of the delegation were DIG Abdulmajid Ali, AIG U.U. Shehu Ambursa and AIG Alapini.
