By Barth Ikiebe.
The House of Representatives has passed a bill seeking to establish the Nigeria Police Force Pension Board, aimed at administering a separate pension scheme for police personnel.
The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigeria Police Force Pension Board Charged with the Responsibility of Administering the Pension Scheme for the Personnel of the Force and to Exempt the Force from the Application of the Contributory Pension Scheme under the Pension Reform Act, 2014, and for Related Matters (HB. 979),” seeks to remove the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
Sponsored by the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, the bill addresses long-standing complaints by retired police officers over delays and inequities in pension payments under the current system managed by the National Pension Commission (PenCom).
Supporters of the bill argue that the Police, as a critical national security institution, deserve a distinct pension structure similar to the Armed Forces.
However, key stakeholders, including PenCom and pension fund operators, have cautioned that exempting the Police from the CPS could impose heavy fiscal burdens on the government and may not guarantee better welfare for personnel.
The bill will now be transmitted to the Senate for concurrence before being sent to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
