by George Ozalla
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has assured retired police officers protesting their continued inclusion in the Contributory Pension Scheme that the National Assembly is poised to resolve the matter without delay. The retirees had maintained a steady presence at the entrance of the National Assembly as they pressed for their removal from the scheme.
Akpabio gave the assurance when he received the leadership of the retired officers in his office on Thursday. According to a press statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the Senate President, Jackson Udom, Akpabio told the delegation that their concerns would be addressed promptly and aligned with the position of the House of Representatives, which had already passed the exit bill.
He told the retirees to disperse from the gate, explaining that the issue was already effectively settled within the law. He said the Senate would next Tuesday concur with the decision of the House and produce an Act formally removing police personnel from the scheme, noting that President Bola Tinubu was expected to sign it once transmitted to him. He described the Contributory Pension Scheme as unsuitable for security personnel and questioned why the police were left behind when the military, DSS, NIA and others had already exited.
Akpabio said those who served in the same security environment should receive equal treatment, adding that the scheme should be uniform from the Inspector General to the lowest-ranking constable. He criticised the tendency to adopt policies without weighing their implications, saying proper evaluation could have spared many officers hardship.
Leader of the retirees, CSP Mannir Lawal Zaria, thanked Akpabio for granting them audience and expressed hope that their concerns would now receive the attention they had sought. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, in his vote of thanks, commended the Senate President for responding promptly to the retirees’ complaints.
