By Adamu Yusuf
Nigerian Union of Retired Police Officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently sign into law the bill seeking the exit of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme and the establishment of a Nigeria Police Pension Board.
The Chairman, Kaduna State Chapter Nigerian Union of Retired Police Officers under CPS, Retired SCP Mannir M. Lawal made the call in a press release and distributed to journalists in Kaduna.
This is on behalf of all branches of the union across all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with Retired SP Chris Effiong serving as the National Coordinator.
Retired CSP Mannir M. 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 convened an emergency meeting on 2 March 2026 at the Police Officers’ Mess in Kaduna to deliberate on the challenges facing retired police officers currently under the CPS and to collectively call on the President to fast-track the signing of the bill.
He explained that during the meeting, the union reviewed the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme since its introduction in 2004 and its amendment in 2014.
CSP Mannir M. Lawal said the members expressed deep concern over what they described as severe hardships faced by many retired police officers under the scheme.
“According to the union, many officers who were already close to retirement when the CPS was introduced had served between 18 and 24 years or more, making the transition particularly difficult”.
“The retirees stated that many of them now struggle to meet basic needs, including paying school fees for their children from nursery to tertiary levels, providing adequate food for their families, and accessing medical treatment”.
“The union further noted that many retired officers are currently battling serious health challenges without the financial capacity to seek treatment”.
“It also expressed concern over what it described as a rising number of deaths among retirees due to poverty and lack of adequate welfare support”.
“The retirees also raised concerns over the recent ₦758 billion pension disbursement approved by the Federal Government, which they said created several issues”
“These include allegations of selective payments where some retirees were paid while others were not, disparities 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 concerns highlighted include payments being sent to the wrong Pension Fund Administrators, lack of transparency regarding the payment template used, and cases where retirees were required to submit documents such as Gen. 60 forms, bank statements, and National Identification Numbers (NIN) but still did not receive their payments”.
“The union also noted that issues relating to gratuity and the 2022 pension increment were not addressed, while the ₦32,000 consequential adjustment reportedly stopped in December 2025”.
“Given these concerns, the union said it has become necessary to urgently appeal to the President to sign the exit bill, describing the move as a step that would restore hope and dignity to retired police officers”.
“It expressed optimism that signing the bill would usher in a new era for the Nigeria Police by improving the welfare of retired officers and motivating serving personnel to carry out their duties more effectively without fear of neglect after retirement”
“The union therefore called on President Tinubu to sign the bill into law as a matter of urgency, stressing that doing so would help address the challenges currently faced by retired police officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme”.
