By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
Despite new welfare directives from President Bola Tinubu, retired police officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), have insisted on a complete withdrawal from the scheme, arguing that recent reforms fail to address their fundamental concerns.
On Wednesday, President Tinubu directed the immediate rollout of free healthcare for low-income retirees under CPS and ordered the implementation of long-overdue pension increases.
He also tasked the Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Omolola Oloworaran, with resolving the longstanding grievances of retired police personnel, stressing that those who served the nation must retire with dignity.
While the retirees acknowledged the President’s intervention, they maintained that only a full exit from the CPS would be acceptable.
“We appreciate the President for listening to us, but we want a total exit from the scheme,” said Buba Danjuma, spokesperson for the protesting retirees. “Remaining under CPS means we are still trapped.”
Retired police officers have held several protests in recent months, including a major demonstration on July 21 at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. They argue that the CPS has failed to guarantee financial security and point to the exit of other security agencies, such as the Department of State Services (DSS), and the military, as justification for their demand.
Presidential Adviser Bayo Onanuga described Tinubu’s directives as part of a broader social protection strategy that includes a minimum pension guarantee and inflation protection.
PenCom also briefed the President on plans to preserve pension fund value and expand contributions to include Nigerians in the diaspora through foreign currency options.
While Tinubu expressed support for the reforms, Danjuma reiterated that the measures fall short.
“The DSS and military are no longer under CPS. Why should the police be the exception? We are calling on the President to take decisive action to remove us from the scheme completely,” he said.
