With the increasing hardships inflicted on police retirees by the Contributory Pension Scheme, which ignited recent protests by retired officers, Ejiofor Alike writes that with the acknowledgement of the police pension crisis by both the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and his immediate predecessor, Usman Baba, President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly should remove the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme and implement a new pension scheme that reflects the services rendered by police officers and men
The plight of retired police officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) drew public attention recently when a retired Superintendent of Police expressed deep frustration over what he described as his meagre payout.
In a viral video, the retired officer, who served in the force for 35 years, reportedly rejected a retirement benefit of ₦2 million approved for him by the Nigeria Police Pension Board.
Following his claim, the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Kayode Egbetokun, ordered a thorough investigation.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement that the IG had directed the NPF Pensions Limited to urgently look into the claims, identify any possible lapses, and ensure appropriate actions are taken to address the issues raised.
However, the IG’s promise did not calm other retirees as hundreds of retired police personnel, on July 21, protested across several states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to express their anger over their continued inclusion in the CPS.
In Abuja, the protesters first marched to the main entrance of the legislative chambers before heading for the Force Headquarters where they blocked the main entrance, chanting solidarity songs.
The aggrieved ex-police officers were led by a 67-year-old retired Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Mannir Lawal; a former Presidential Candidate of African Action Congress in 2023 election, Omoyele Sowore; a human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, and many other activists.
Speaking during the protest in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, the legal adviser for Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria (ARPON) and retired Superintendent of Police (SP), Adekunle Iwalaiye, specifically described their plight as a ticking time-bomb for the country’s internal security.
“When officers know they will retire into poverty, they stop caring about integrity. That is how corruption grows. You cannot pay a man N2.4 million after 35 years and expect him to retire with dignity,” Iwalaiye added.
He expressed frustration over what he tagged “discriminatory pension scheme”.
Under the forced enrolment of retirees into the CPS, established by the Pension Reform Act of 2004, both the employer and employee contribute a percentage of the officer’s monthly salary into a Retirement Savings Account (RSA).
Under the scheme, serving officers contribute eight per cent of their salary, while the federal government adds 10 per cent, with the funds managed by pension fund administrators.
Upon retirement, the officer receives a lump sum from the RSA, with the remainder paid out as a monthly pension
However, many retired officers, especially the junior ranks, receive meagre monthly payments ranging between N14,000 and N50,000.
But those who retired in the ranks of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) and Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) are not on the scheme.
Conversely, those who retired on the ranks of Commissioner of Police (CP) and below are the ones placed on the scheme being maintained by PenCom.
This disparity and discrimination have triggered discontent and protests.
Speaking on the police pension crisis in a live television programme, Egbetokun’s predecessor, Usman Baba, recalled that the police authorities under him and police retirees had at a public hearing organised by the National Assembly, expressed outrage over the CPS.
Baba, who was removed in June 2023 by President Bola Tinubu, acknowledged that the scheme has created a system of segregation among retired officers.
He argued that the current pension scheme effectively treats ex-officers as dead a decade after their retirement, even when they are still alive.
Baba described the pension system for retired officers as exploitative, unjust, and fundamentally broken.
“I think 10 years after retirement, you will be considered dead,” the former IG stated. “So, this is how the scheme has been. And even very senior officers – nobody takes more than N100,000 as a monthly pension after retirement.”
He said some of his colleagues have not received their retirement benefits, years after leaving service
“Like I’m getting my salary every month, and these are my colleagues whom we joined together, progressed together, and are not getting
“Just last week, Isah, my PA (Personal Assistant), who retired seven months ago, was telling me that he had not gotten one kobo up till today.
“How do you expect performance, loyalty, and commitment when you are afraid of retiring?
“And it is not like the military, where three to four months before you retire, the military will take you to Oshodi and start giving you training on what to do. This one, you work until you retire, the day you go,” Baba explained.
Baba said his successor, Egbetokun, has never consulted him on police administrative matters or the lingering pension crisis.
“Unfortunately, the man who succeeded me – he has not known much of what police administration is rather than operation because he has been in the field.
“There was a time he (Egbetokun) even supported the pension programme and there were a lot of outcries,” he added.
Asked if there is a platform where serving and former IGs meet to discuss institutional issues, Baba said such a forum exists but is rarely activated.
On his part, Egbetokun stated that “retirement is now feared, not welcomed” adding that many retirees live in humiliating conditions.
Speaking at a strategic meeting of senior police officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police and above, the IG said the living conditions of retired officers were unacceptable, given the sacrifices they made in service.
He added: “One area I remain deeply committed to is the welfare of our retired officers under the Contributory Pensions Scheme. Their post-service condition is heartbreaking and morally unacceptable.
“This has turned retirement into a period of hardship and regret, eroding the confidence of serving officers, who now see their future with fear rather than hope.”
Egbetokun said the poor state of retirees was affecting the morale of serving officers.
“Among serving officers, there exists a growing and deep-rooted anxiety, born from the belief, rightly or wrongly, that retirement is a descent into hardship,” he added
While an elected public official, who serves for only four years leaves office with accumulated salaries, an average police officer who served for 35 years would go home with a meagre payout.
Many believe this injustice will continue to encourage corruption, indiscipline, and unprofessionalism among serving police officers.
President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly should introduce an improved pension system that reflects the sacrifices and risks undertaken by officers during active service as the CPS that replaced the defined benefits system has inflicted untold hardships on retired police officers.
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