| Presidency, NASS On War Path Over Police Pension Scheme.
This is sequel to a letter endorsed by the Secretary to the Federal Government Mr Boss Mustapha and addressed to the Inspector Police, Usman Akali Baba instructing the Police Chief to suspend all actions regarding the matter.
This letter, which seems to have sounded the death knell to the novel dream is a direct affront to current moves by the National Assembly to pass a bill to that effect in a bid to boost the morale of officers and men of the Police given the hues and cries emanating from the controversial pension scheme especially from retirees.
Apparently acting on instructions from the cabals calling the shots at Aso Rock, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr. Boss Mustapha had in a letter dated July 21, 2022 and directed to the Inspector General of Police stated“I write to acknowledge the persistent by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to be exempted from the contributory Pension Scheme, under the Pension Reform Act, 2014, and the several reasons canvased to support this request”
“This is not an effort to frustrate the NPF from getting a separate scheme, the SGF said, “while not being oblivious to the various concerns raised, I refer to the previous position of the then President, conveyed in SGF’s letter Ref. 59149/5.1/C/11/255 dated 20th July, 2014 which state that the Nigerian Police Force shall continue to be covered under the contributory Pension Scheme and to further inform you that the directive has not change”
He averred that , “ it is in consonance with the federal government white paper on the report of the presidential committee on restricting and rationalization of federal government parastatals, commissions and agencies where the federal government approved the recommendation that only the military be allowed to opt out of the Contributory Pension Scheme”
Recalled that the federal government had in 2014 in a similar letter through the then SGF to the IGP said, “Mr. President has approve that the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force should continue to be covered under the contributory Pension Scheme established by the Pension Reform act 2004. However, it is noteworthy that provision is also being made for the Police to administer its own pension”
The current letter by the SGF is widely seen as a calculated attempt to frustrate the ongoing process by National Assembly to get an enabling bill needed for the setting up of a separate pension scheme for the police.A source in the Cross River State Chapter of Police Retirees Association said “the bill sponsored by Hon. Francis Waive from Delta to exit N.P.F from contribution scheme has already scaled through committee stage and awaiting third reading in the House of Representatives for necessary action”
At the senate, according to the same source “the bill, sponsored by Senator Elisha Abor of Adamawa North has scaled through 1st and 2nd reading while the relevant committee is expected to subject the bill to public hearing for vital inputs from concerned stakeholders
”The latest action by the federal government is therefore going to have negative consequences on the matter and further dampen the moral in the force” the source lamented.
Retired police officers have often complained of the undue exploitations and stress they suffered in getting their pension allowances and other statutory benefits under the scheme after serving their fatherland for 35 years.
The scheme is widely linked to the lack of enthusiasm , poor motivation and fear of retirement prevalent in the Nigerian Police Force.
However,in his reaction ,the Chairman Cross River State Chapter of Police Retirees Mr Christopher Effiong who also double as the National Coordinator of the group said,
“I have been told about the letter though I am yet to sight it. If there is such letter, it is rather very unfortunate and we will react accordingly.
“We however request the National Assembly saddle with the constitutional duty to make new laws and amend the obnoxious ones made in error, to proceed and deal with the bills to exit NPF from the Pension Scheme and the bill to establish Police Pension Board | |
