The Commissioner of Police, Lagos state Command, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, has urged retired police officers not to engage in protest over unpaid pension but rather dialogue with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Jimoh made the appeal while hosting the retirees under the auspice of the
National Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria (NARPON), Lagos state Chapter, on Friday at the command’s headquaters, Ikeja.
During the meeting, the CP assured the retirees of better pension and gratuities.
He said that the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Mr Kayode Egebtokun was addressing pressing concerns regarding the pension schemes, and the welfare of retired officers who had dedicated their lives to the service of our nation.
“Of recent, there have been concerns about the lamentation in some quarters about some groups claiming that the gratuities and the pension scheme cannot take care of any of their needs, that this is ridiculous and terrible.
“The I-G has directed all the Commissioner of Police, across the country, to meet with the retirees to let them know a lot of things he has been doing, “he said.
According to him, there is no I-G that has the power to remove the police from contributory pension scheme because it is govermment policies.
Jimoh said that the I-G had made a lot of submission to government, recently seeking for the entire police officer to get between 80 per cent to o 100 per cent of their salary as they retire.
“I-G Egbetokun is doing a lot to ensure that he alleviates the suffering of the officers.
“He has taken a bold step to ensure that officer who retires gets between 80 per cent and 80 per cent of their salary on monthly basis, and that is currently before the government.
“We are very hopeful that with all the steps that the I-G has taken, in the next three to six months, you will see a lot of changes in the pension scheme of the NPF for the better.
“So, protest is not the way forward; let us continue to dialogue with ourselves, so as to move the nation forward for the interests of all of us, and for the interests of Nigeria, ” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that retired police officers are planning a nationwide protest on July 21 over unresolved pension challenges facing officers enrolled in the Contributory Pension Scheme.
The retirees are demanding the removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the scheme, which they claim has subjected them to severe economic hardship, financial embarrassment, and a disturbing increase in cases of depression and deaths among retired personnel. (NAN)
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