Some retired police officers have stormed the National Assembly Complex this Tuesday for a peaceful protest over several months of unpaid pensions.
The officers, representing various state chapters, complained about experiencing hardship due to the failure of the PENCOM administration to pay their pensions.
Retired Commissioner of Police and Chairman of Pensioners of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Mr. Abayomi Akeremale, explained to Radio Nigeria that the essence of contributing to a pension was to ensure that your money is paid accordingly for your welfare upon retirement.
He said they have been discussing and struggling to ensure the bill with the National Assembly is passed into law to establish a pension board to take care of their pensions, not PENCOM, similar to what happened with other security agencies such as the Army. However, this has not yet materialized.
Mr. Abayomi Akeremale expressed concern that the contributions under PENCOM are not reaching the pensioners as they are supposed to.
Therefore, he urged the National Assembly and the Federal Government to expedite action in passing the bill so that police pensioners can align themselves with their sister agencies.
Retired Superintendent of Police Ajidahun Oladiyo argued that other federal agencies of the government, such as the Army and DSS, which are part of the police, should not be exempted from PENCOM while leaving the rest under it.
Retired ASP Sylvanus Basadembo from Plateau State further argued that they started this struggle in 2013, but what surprised them is the removal of the Army, Inspector General, and Assistant Inspector General of Police from the PENCOM administration, leaving the rest to suffer, according to him.
Addressing the aggrieved gathering, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Yinus Akintunde from Oyo Central, sympathized with the condition of the retired police officers but assured them that the National Assembly is currently holding meetings with the police authority to resolve the matter.
He also stated that their actions are in line with the law, which guarantees their fundamental rights.
It may be recalled that the bill to remove the police from PENCOM was passed by the ninth Senate but was not assented to by the President during the ninth Assembly.
Cov Bashir M
