Retired Police Officers Protest In Ibadan Over Poor Pensions, Demand Exit From PENCOM
•By OYENIYI AWOJOODU
IBADAN — THE retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday staged a protest at the Oyo State Police Headquarters, Eleyele Ibadan, decrying what they described as poor pension payments under the Contributory Pension Scheme managed by the National Pension Commission.
The protesters, comprising retired senior officers, called on President Bola Tinubu to approve a bill seeking the removal of police personnel from the scheme and the establishment of a separate pension board for the force.
Speaking during the protest, a retired Superintendent of Police, Joseph Alabi, said many former officers had been struggling to survive due to what he termed “meagre” monthly pensions.
“For over two years now, we have been on this issue. Retired Nigerian police officers are suffering,” he said. “As a retired SP, I go home with about N70,000 monthly. Is that for feeding or taking care of my family?”
Alabi faulted the continued inclusion of police personnel in the contributory pension scheme, noting that other security agencies had been exempted.
“Air Force, Navy, military and other agencies have been removed from this scheme, but the police are still there. That is unfair,” he added.
He explained that the retirees’ demand was for the President to assent to a bill already passed by the National Assembly, which would allow the police to exit the scheme and establish a dedicated pension structure.
“All we are asking is for the President to assent to the bill so that we can be pulled out of PENCOM and have a system that will cater for us and those still in service,” he said.
Another protester, retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, Saludeen Omotayo, who said he served for 35 years, lamented that his retirement benefits were grossly inadequate.
“How can someone serve for 35 years and be given about N1.5m or N2m? We are not being paid well. We are suffering,” he said, appealing to Nigerians to support their cause.
He added that many retirees were facing hardship and could no longer meet basic needs.
“We are hungry. We are dying. Nigerians should help us appeal to the government,” he said.
Also speaking, a retired electrical engineer, Babatunde Oluwatoye, who joined the protest in solidarity, described the situation as disturbing and called on the Federal Government to act urgently.
“I never believed this was happening until I heard from a retired police officer. After 35 years, you are giving someone less than N2m. What can that do?” he said.
Oluwatoye linked the welfare of police personnel to national security, warning that poor treatment of retired officers could affect the morale of those still in service.
“If the police are well taken care of, they will do their job effectively. But when serving officers see how retirees are treated, it affects their motivation,” he added.
The protest in Ibadan comes amid similar demonstrations in other parts of the country, including Abuja, as retired police officers continue to press for reforms in their pension system.
The protesters vowed to sustain their agitation until their demands are met.