The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), has urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently assent to the Bill seeking the exit of the Nigeria Police Force from the contributory pension scheme.
The Committee in a statement on Wednesday jointly signed by its national president, Comrade Yinka Folarin and the National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Adewunmi Adesina, expressed displeasure over unpaid pension of retired police officers who have subsequently been compelled to embark on peaceful protest at the headquarters of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) in Abuja.
The Committee appealed to the President to expedite action, saying that the issue is not political but a matter of human dignity, justice and human lives.
It urged him to urgently address the pending legislation seeking the withdrawal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme and its return to the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), through an appropriate pension arrangement, as advocated by the retired officers
The statement reads, “As Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, you mustn’t allow those who dedicated their lives to protecting the nation to be abandoned in retirement.
CDHR also asked the National Assembly to take all constitutionally permissible steps to resolve the prolonged delay surrounding the bill. “Where the constitutional conditions for overriding a presidential veto are met, the National Assembly should consider exercising its powers in accordance with the Constitution. A legislative intervention intended to address the plight of retired officers must not be allowed to remain unresolved indefinitely.”
The Committee took a swipe at the Director-General of PenCom, asking her to stop dismissing or misrepresenting the genuine concerns of police officers and pensioners. “Police pensions are a matter of public interest, not the private right of any individual or institution. PenCom must provide transparent, verifiable evidence of police officers’ preferences regarding the CPS and engage constructively with their representatives.
CDHR also demanded clear explanations regarding the differences between the pension arrangements applicable to police officers and those applicable to other security and military institutions, including the Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
It charged the Inspector-General of Police to publicly support the legitimate welfare concerns of serving and retired officers and to engage the relevant authorities to secure a just and sustainable resolution.
“You cannot effectively lead a force while its retired members face severe financial hardship.
CDHR insisted that the Federal Government must recognise that the welfare of retired police officers is inseparable from the effectiveness, integrity and morale of the Nigeria Police Force. “A nation that fails to guarantee dignity in retirement for those who protect its citizens undermines its own efforts to strengthen public safety and combat insecurity.”
The Committee warns that if the injustice persists and the legitimate demands of retired police officers continue to be ignored, the organisation will mobilise its state branches to join the retirees in a nationwide peaceful protest to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in accordance with the law.
The organisation expressed concern over reports that an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) who served the nation for 35 years receives a monthly pension of just ₦30,000, while a Superintendent of Police (SP) receives ₦35,000 and a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) receives ₦45,000. “These amounts are grossly inadequate in an economy where a bag of rice reportedly costs about ₦60,000. This is not a dignified pension; it is a form of punishment. It is institutional injustice.” CDHR added
“The reported deaths of retired officers awaiting a resolution to this pension crisis should weigh heavily on the conscience of the nation. Their plight demands urgent attention, not silence, delay or political expediency.”
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