The Nigeria Police retired officers Forum has called on the National Assembly ( NASS) to save them from untold hardship as a result of unpaid pensions owed them by the Nigeria Police Pension Limited since their disengagement in 2017.
They therefore urged the Senate to review the pension reform act of 2004 as it relates to the Nigeria Police force in order to return them to the old pension scheme like their counterparts in other security agencies in the country.
The forum made the urge under NPF Pension Limited, Kogi state I. a statement and signed by Shaibu Oke (ASP.rtd), Chairman and ASP Joseph Abu (Rtd), Public Relations Officer and made available to Journalists in Lokoja.
The retirees noted with dismay that the new contributory pension scheme stipulated that both the pension Commission and the retirees should agree on the modality of payment but regretted that the commission would pay whatever amount it wanted without recourse to the contributors.
The forum added that the Police retirees from 2017 till date had not been able to collect their lumpsum and monthly pensions, stressing that the Nigeria Police as a leading security agency in internal security in the country had been unfairly treated.
According to the retirees concerned, the statement from the that NPF pension ltd that it has paid up to date in the payment of pensions liabilities was far from the truth,adding its members that retired in 2018 had not been paid their their retirement entitlements.
” We urge the National Assembly members to review Pencom law so that all the entire police retirees that were already in the force before the Act of 2004 should be exempted from the contributory pension and pull us out of this uncomfortable condition.
” That the Act should take recognizance of the services rendered by the retirees before the Act and as such, their past selfless services should be remitted into their individual accounts.
“That the National Assembly should assist us by granting exemptions, just like our counterparts in the Army , Navy, Airforce and DSS. We are worried as the leading Security Agency in internal security, that we were not treated equally with others.
” We urge the Federal Government to review our monthly pensions which cannot take us home. How can somebody who had served his country for 35 years and retired as Assistant Superintendent of police ( ASP) earns between #25,009 and #30,000 .
“What we are saying is for the government to return us to the old scheme like our sister security Agencies,”the forum members pleaded.
The forum also solicited the support of the National Assembly and the Federal Government to direct the police authorities to refund the National Housing Fund of its members to them.
