Remove Police Officers from Contributory Pension Scheme — Retired DIG tells President Tinubu 

Remove Police Officers from Contributory Pension Scheme — Retired DIG tells President Tinubu

 

A retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Adedayo Adeoye, has urged President Bola Tinubu to exclude police officers from the Contributory Pension Scheme to improve their retirement benefits.

He expressed concern that the scheme is pushing many retirees into poverty.

Adeoye’s comments coincide with plans for nationwide protests by some retired officers under the scheme.

In an interview with the PUNCH he highlighted that a retired Commissioner of Police he knows receives only N80,000 monthly, which is insufficient for living expenses.

He proposed the establishment of a Police Pension Commission to replace the current scheme.

Adeoye said: “We need our policemen to be provided with a good retirement life; let them retire at the age of 60. The retirement benefit of an average policeman is inadequate because they are under the CPS. It’s shameful.

“Imagine a Commissioner of Police receiving only N80,000 and a Chief Superintendent of Police receiving N35,000 a month as pension.

“What can that do for them? I urge the president to remove the police from this contributory pension scheme and create a police pension commission.”

The retired senior police officer also criticised the proposal to extend the retirement age for police officers from 60 to 65 years.

The National Assembly has passed a bill recommending this change and sent it to the president, who has not yet signed it into law.

He argued that the extension is unnecessary and could impede promotions within the police force.

Adeoye said:“The extension of police officers’ retirement age from 60 years to 65 years is not necessary. My reasons are that many policemen do not declare their true age when they enlist in the police.

“Additionally, it will stagnate promotions in the Nigeria Police Force. Many people are expecting promotions this year. If you increase the age limit by five years, it means nobody will retire during that period, and they will remain in their ranks. All ranks will be affected, except in cases of death or dismissal, which is when vacancies will occur.

“Furthermore, by the time you reach the rank of Commissioner of Police and above, you carry a significant workload. You work around the clock and therefore, you need to rest by the age of 60. If not, many may not live long enough to enjoy their retirement.”