From Mustapha Saye, Kaduna
The Union of Retired Police Officers, Kaduna State Chapter, has issued an ultimatum to the National Assembly, demanding the removal of their members from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) by the end of January 2025.
Failure to meet this demand will result in the union occupying the National Assembly.
The union intends to bring mattresses, mats, cooking utensils, and other domestic necessities to the National Assembly, where they plan to remain until their demands are addressed.
The Chairman, CSP Mannir M. Lawal Zaria (Rtd), and the Secretary, ASP Danladi Maigamo (Rtd), issued the warning in a press release provided to news outlets in Kaduna.
In the statement, the union said, “As our patience has been exhausted, if by the end of January 2025, the Nigeria Police are not removed from CPS, we will have no choice but to occupy the National Assembly.”
The union further stated, “This time, it won’t be easy, as we will bring our mattresses, mats, cooking utensils, and all other domestic needs to the National Assembly, where we will stay until we are removed from CPS. We will no longer accept empty promises. We have been deceived too many times, and we are determined to fight for our rights and dignity.”
The union also expressed concerns over the delay in addressing the issue, highlighting the negative impact on retired police officers.
“The House Committee on Police Pension conducted public hearings and was given one week to submit its report. Unfortunately, nothing has been heard about the report,” they said. “This delay has left many police retirees under the CPS in dire poverty, leading to countless deaths.”
The union has also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to stop the oppression of retired police officers under the CPS. “For the sake of justice and equality, we call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, remove us from the Contributory Pension Scheme, and ensure that our unpaid allowances and palliatives are paid.”
The union held its monthly meeting on December 18, 2024, during which it discussed critical issues, including the public hearings on the establishment of the Nigeria Police Pension Board.
The meeting also touched on the Federal Government’s neglect of retired police officers under the CPS. Despite the President’s prompt response to the pension concerns of other security agencies, police retirees under the CPS have been denied an exit, as well as payment of unpaid allowances and palliatives.
The union questioned the unfair treatment of police retirees, noting that the police service is represented by top-ranking officials, including the Inspector General of Police, the Minister for Police Affairs, and the National Security Adviser, all of whom are former police officers.
Additionally, the union addressed misinformation spread by PENCOM, NPF Pension, the Central Bank, and the National Union of Pensioners (NUP), claiming that the Federal Government would need to spend N3 trillion to settle the police pension if they exited the CPS.
The union dismissed this claim, pointing out that the Nigeria Police has an estimated strength of 350,000, and not all members would retire at once. “PENCOM has confirmed that it holds assets worth approximately twenty-one trillion naira,” the union stated. “Even if three trillion is allocated to settle police pensions, PENCOM would still retain a balance of around eighteen trillion naira.”