By Atoyebi Nike
Retired police officers under Nigeria’s Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) have insisted on complete removal from the system, despite new welfare measures announced by President Bola Tinubu aimed at improving their conditions.
On Wednesday, President Tinubu directed the immediate rollout of free healthcare for low-income retirees under the CPS and ordered long-delayed pension increases. He also instructed the Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Omolola Oloworaran, to urgently resolve pension-related challenges affecting the police.
“The men and women who served and protected our country deserve to retire with dignity and peace of mind,” Tinubu said, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The announcement, however, did little to placate retired officers, many of whom have staged protests in recent months demanding complete withdrawal from the CPS.
“We thank the President for his concern, but our demand remains the same we want out of the CPS. If we remain, nothing changes,” said Buba Danjuma, spokesperson for the protesting retirees.
The retirees referenced similar exits from the scheme by other security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS) and the military, arguing that the police should not be left behind.
“The DSS and military are out already. Why should the police still be trapped in a system that does not favour us?” Danjuma questioned.
PenCom had earlier briefed the President on reforms aimed at protecting pension assets from inflation and plans to allow Nigerians in the diaspora to contribute in foreign currency. Tinubu backed the reforms as part of his administration’s broader agenda for inclusive growth and social protection.
But for the retired officers, only a full exit from the CPS will suffice.
