Police retirees in Edo join nationwide protest over poor pension

Retired police officers in Edo on Monday joined their counterparts across the country in protesting poor pension conditions under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The retirees described CPS as a “killer policy” that has plunged them into poverty and avoidable suffering.

The protesters, under the banner of the National Association of Retired Police Officers Contributory Pension Scheme (NARPO-CPS), also held a news conference in Benin to draw national attention to their plight.

They demanded immediate action from President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking on behalf of the group, the state Chairman, SP Anthony Nnachor (rtd), lamented that many retired officers who served the country meritoriously for over three decades could no longer feed themselves, access medical care, or support their families.

“We are here to let the world know the hardship we are passing through.

“Some of us receive as little as N25,000 or N30,000 monthly, even retired Commissioners of Police are not spared.

“Many of our colleagues are dying daily due to lack of money for basic healthcare,” he said.

Nnachor called on the Federal Government to immediately exit retired police personnel from the scheme, which he claimed had failed to serve their needs since its introduction in 2004.

“Under the scheme, we contribute 7 per cent and the Federal Government adds 8 percent. At retirement, they calculate a lump sum and give you only 25 per cent of your life savings.

“If you contributed N10 million, they may give you just N2 million, and spread the rest across monthly payments that leave you in penury,” he explained.

The retired police officers described the scheme as exploitative and urged President Tinubu to intervene by mandating relevant agencies to approve their exit.

The group, he said, had been protesting and lobbying since 2019 without success.

Also speaking, the association’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Johnson Oyameda, echoed the call for urgent reforms, labelling the police pension arrangement as fraudulent and unjust.

Oyameda appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to facilitate their exit and ensure they were transitioned into the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), which currently covered retired military personnel.

“We want to be placed under the DBS like our counterparts in the armed forces.

“We’re appealing to the National Assembly to pass the bill removing us from the contributory scheme.

“Despite multiple public hearings, the harmonisation of the bill is still being delayed,” Oyameda said.