Retired Police Officers Urge Tinubu to Approve Bill on Exit from Contributory Pension Scheme
Zainab Tanimu
Kaduna Northwest Nigeria
The Nigerian Union of Retired Police Officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently assent to the bill seeking the withdrawal of the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS and the creation of a dedicated Nigeria Police Pension Board.
The appeal was made in a press statement issued in Kaduna by the Chairman of the union’s Kaduna State chapter, retired CSP Mannir M. Lawal, and distributed to journalists.
He noted that the call represents the collective position of the union’s branches across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The union is nationally coordinated by retired SP Chris Effiong.
Lawal explained that the appeal followed the recent transmission of the bill by the 10th National Assembly to the President for assent.
According to him, the union held an emergency meeting on March 2, 2026, at the Police Officers’ Mess in Kaduna to review the difficulties faced by retired officers under the CPS and to collectively urge the President to fast-track the signing of the bill.
During the meeting, members examined the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme since it was introduced in 2004 and amended in 2014. They expressed serious concern over what they described as the harsh realities many retired police officers currently face under the scheme.
The union explained that many officers who were close to retirement when the CPS was introduced had already served between 18 and 24 years or more, making the transition particularly challenging for them.
According to the retirees, many former officers now struggle to meet basic family needs, including paying school fees for their children from primary to tertiary levels, providing adequate food, and accessing medical care. They also noted that several retirees are battling serious health conditions without the financial means to seek proper treatment.
The union further lamented what it described as an increasing number of deaths among retired officers due to poverty and inadequate welfare support.
Concerns were also raised over the Federal Government’s recent ₦758 billion pension disbursement, which the retirees said generated several complaints.
Among the issues highlighted were allegations of selective payments, discrepancies in payments among retirees of the same rank who retired at the same time, and instances where junior officers allegedly received higher payments than their seniors.
Other challenges cited include payments sent to incorrect Pension Fund Administrators, lack of transparency regarding the payment structure used, and situations where retirees submitted required documents such as Gen. 60 forms, bank statements, and National Identification Numbers (NIN) but still did not receive their payments.
The union also stated that matters relating to gratuity and the 2022 pension increment remain unresolved, while the ₦32,000 consequential adjustment reportedly stopped in December 2025.
Given these challenges, the retirees stressed that signing the exit bill had become necessary, noting that it would help restore hope and dignity to retired police officers.
They expressed confidence that the establishment of a Nigeria Police Pension Board would significantly improve the welfare of retired personnel and encourage serving officers to carry out their duties with the assurance that their future after service would be secure.
The union therefore called on President Tinubu to give urgent approval to the bill, describing it as a crucial step toward addressing the persistent difficulties faced by retired police officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
