The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has urged calm and clarified its position in response to ongoing public discussions about the planned peaceful protest by retired police officers over pension-related issues.
The Force reiterated its commitment to the welfare of its retired personnel in a statement issued by the Force’s Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, while cautioning against the protest’s politicisation.
The statement acknowledged the need to withdraw from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and the legitimacy of the protests.
It noted that because of legal and administrative constraints, which are beyond the inspector general’s purview, the issue has persisted for more than ten years and is still unresolved.
According to the statement, the agitation for better police pensions, and particularly the call for exit from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), is not recent. It has lasted for more than ten years. Since 2014, successive Inspectors-General of Police have shown empathy, engaged key stakeholders, and provided institutional support for this cause.
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“Despite these sincere efforts, the desired outcome has remained elusive, not as a result of a lack of will, but as a result of enshrined legal laws, fiscal restrictions, and administrative bottlenecks. The underlying truth is that any Inspector-General’s responsibility to leave the CPS is far beyond its purview, as the issue is intricately intertwined with a web of interagency protocols, statutory mandates, and policy inertia. “
However, the police force criticized some groups and individuals for allegedly using the protest to advance political goals, accusing them of disseminating false information and defaming facts to denigrate the government and undermine the institution.
The Force criticized the actors’ choice to politicize a sensitive welfare issue while using ostensible tactics to undermine our retired colleagues’ legitimate grievances.
Despite this, the current police leadership proposed a two-pronged plan that would support the need for reform and propose alternative solutions to meet retirees’ immediate needs. In order to improve pension benefits, measures include tapping into internally generated revenue and leveraging private sector partnerships.
The IGP has directed all commissioners of police to ensure peaceful conduct and provide adequate security coverage as the protest is scheduled for Monday, July 21, 2025, primarily in the Federal Capital Territory and other states with formal notification.
The Force instructed officers to treat retired colleagues with the utmost respect and pledged to defend the rights of retired employees who could protest peacefully. Despite this, efforts will be made to stop political agitators from stealing the demonstration.
The statement urges serving officers to uphold professionalism and use the occasion as a test of the Force’s values and discipline. “The protest must not only be peaceful, it must be exemplary,” it said.
Source: Channels TV
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