Police retirees urge NASS to pass bill that has scaled second reading
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Police retirees have urged the National Assembly (NASS) to quickly pass the Police Pensions Board (PPB) that would enable them exit the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) subjecting them to great hardship.
They reiterated the bill, which has passed second reading in the NASS, would handle the retirement issues of police pensioners, arguing their counterparts in army and Directorate of State Security (DSS) have since exited CPS and their pension matters are being smoothly handled by boards created for that purpose.
Members of Enugu State branch of police retirees lamented their hardship under the CPS, which pays them just between N3,000 and N4,6000 as monthly pension that cannot take care of even their medications let alone feed their families.
State Chairman Christopher Odugu wondered why the bill which has passed second reading in the NASS has still not been passed into law.
Odugu, who was flanked by other state members and executives, said
- NASS members should ensure the bill is passed into law to save many from agony.
- Pensioners should not be pushed to move to Abuja with their family members to occupy the police headquarters and NASS.
- The appeal has become necessary due to the hardship they are going through with their families.
- The 9th NASS should save their souls by ensuring the bill is passed into law before the expiration of its tenure in June to enable police retirees exit the CPS.
- Continued stay in Police in Pension Scheme (PPS) has brought untold hardship to pensioners.
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Need to amend 2014 Pension Act
“We want the federal government to amend the 2014 Pension Act so as to save us from dying after serving the country for 35 years,” Odugu stressed, per Vanguard.
“Our lump-sum and monthly pension are so meagre compared to other security agencies like the retired Armed Forces, the DSS and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
“Ironically, the Nigerian Army, the DSS and NIA are the children of the Nigeria police. They were created from the police and perform less functions compared to the role of the police for the security of Nigeria.
“It is funny that the police have been abandoned and neglected in pains to suffer after 35 years of service to the country.
“Members of the Nigeria Police Force, being the frontline security agency, are involved in sustaining the internal security of this country. They are also involve in the performance of other military duties as provided in Section 4(e) and Section 8 of the Police Act 2020.
“They are exposed to danger daily than other security agencies that are even exempted, and as such deserve better treatment during and after service.”
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