ENUGU, Nigeria — Retired police officers in Nigeria are imploring the National Assembly to expedite the passage of a bill aimed at alleviating the economic hardship they face due to the current contributory pension scheme.
The legislation in question would establish a Police Pensions Board to handle police retirement matters, similar to existing boards that manage the pensions of army and Department of State Services, DSS, retirees.
Members of the Enugu State branch of police retirees spoke to journalists on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, expressing their frustrations with the meager monthly pensions they receive, which they claim are insufficient to cover even basic needs such as medications and family expenses.
“Why should the bill to set up a Police Pension Board, which has already passed the 1st and 2nd reading, take so long to become law?” questioned Christopher Odugu, Enugu State Chairman of police retirees. Odugu and other retired officers are urging the 9th Assembly to do everything in their power to ensure the bill is passed into law before the end of their tenure in June.
Odugu explained that the predicament of retired police officers is exacerbated by the fact that their counterparts in the army and DSS have already exited the contributory pension scheme and now benefit from smoother pension management. He called on the National Assembly to “save their souls” by passing the bill, which would allow retired policemen to exit the current pension scheme.
The retirees cited the disparity between their pensions and those of retired members of other security agencies, such as the Armed Forces, DSS, and National Intelligence Agency, NIA. They pointed out that the police force, as the parent organization of these other agencies, has been “abandoned and neglected” despite having a more significant role in maintaining the country’s security.
“We want the Federal Government to amend the 2014 Pension Act to save us from dying after serving the country for 35 years,” the retirees implored. They further argued that the police force, as the frontline security agency, is more exposed to danger than other organizations that have already been granted pension relief, and as such, they deserve better treatment during and after their service.
