The Nigerian Police Retirees across the country have lamented the ordeal its members have been passing through the Contributory Pension Scheme PENCOM, describing its as enslavement.
The Police Retirees in a statement on Monday which was signed by Bar. Ofem Mbang the National Legal Adviser and SP Iwara Ibiam Rtd Vice Chairman Cross River State Chapter on behalf of the Nigerian Police Retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme and copied to the President Bola Tinubu.
The statement reads: ” We wish the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and all Nigerians a happy democracy day and appreciate the Rapid development of democracy in Nigeria.
“The entire Police formation as well as retirees and their families went agog at the breaking news as the 9th Assembly made a bold step to formally announced the passage of the Bill for the establishment of the Nigeria Police Pension Board to exit the Nigeria Police Force from the obnoxious contributory pension scheme and return to the Force to the defined benefit scheme which their counterparts in the military and DSS have enjoyed for years now.
“It will be an understatement to say the least, that the Nigeria Police Retirees under the contributory pension scheme have been so enslaved, impoverished and a lot have died while many are facing one form of medical or psychological torture or the other, due largely to their meagre take home pension and gratuity being managed by National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
“The present condition of the Nigeria Police Retirees under the contributory pension scheme fall short of anything good of the scheme. For instance, when asked in the floor of the National Assembly, the DG PENCOM Aisha Dahir-Umar could not state the extent the N13.6trn investment imparted on the lives of NPF retirees under the scheme.
“Therefore, on behalf of the National Executive, the stakeholders and over 44,300 dogged members of the Police Retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme across the nation, express our deepest appreciation to the 9th Assembly under the leadership of Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan and especially Senator Ishaku Abbo, Senator Haliru Dauda Jika and Rev. Francis Waive for their highest sense of solidarity, financial and moral support leading to the successful passage of the bill.
“We are equally grateful to the Inspector General of Police Alkali Baba and the Chairman Police Service Commission Dr. Solomon Arase for their fatherly roles. We cannot forget the resilience of Ahmed Isa, the ordinary president of Human Right Radio and Television (Radio Brekete) in sensitizing the public and the world over of the plight of the Nigeria Police Retirees under the contributory pension scheme.With the deepest sense of humanity we call on His Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Sen. Bola Ahmed Tunibu GCFR to graciously assent to the bill and give members of the Nigeria Police Force and the Retirees a new lease of life
“However, we wish to admonish mischief makers and all who have stood as clogs on the wheel of progress to ground their tools. To put the record strength, we are compelled to state categorically that:The postulations of Rufai Oseni of Arise TV, that the Federal Government will be incurring over N2trn for Police Officers and urging Mr. President not to sign the bill is mischievous and a calculated attempt to undermine the capacity and sincerity of the new administration of His Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to the plight of Nigerians. Rufai was only orchestrating the evil machinations of the desperate DG PENCOM Aisha Dahir-Umar as both did not consider the fact that all Police Officers are not retiring on the same date to warrant such huge expenditure as imagined.
“The claim that a Federal Government White Paper alluding that only the military was allowed by the federal government to opt out of the contributory pension scheme was deceptive and misleading too. Our position was well articulated before the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly which after diligent scrutiny and discovering the truth, have no option but to pass the bill for the President’s assent.
