Stakeholders disagree over proposed Police Pension Board

• Published date: 21 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

Okay Police Special Forces Academy

Police request separate arrangement from N14.79tn pension scheme

Stakeholders on Friday disagreed on the desirability or otherwise of establishing a proposed Police Pension Board.

However, they supported a move to set up a Nigeria Police Special Force in the country.

The two positions were canvassed during a public hearing on a Bill seeking to establish the Police Pension Board sponsored by Senator Elisha Abbo (APC - Adamawa North) and a Bill to establish the Nigeria Police Special Force Academy, sponsored by Senator Ali Ndume (APC - Borno South).

The public hearing was organized by the Senate Committee on Police Affairs chaired by Senator Haliru Jika.

During the session, Senators, the Nigeria Police Force and Police retirees supported the proposal for the establishment of a PPB while the National Pension Commission (NPC), Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), kicked against it.

For instance, the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba-Usman represented by his deputy, Sanusi Lemu, in his presentation, said the Police required a distinct board to be saddled with the management and administration of pensions of retired Police personnel akin to the Military Pensions Board.

'The Police as clearly stated by the title of the bill 'Police Pension Board Establishment Bill 2022,' deserve to have a separate body for the management and administration of Pensions of its retirees.

'Exiting the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), being run and managed by PENCOM, is long overdue for the Police on account of poor services.

'The proposed board will boost the morale of Police Personnel to dispassionately discharge their duties of fighting crime,' he said.

Chairman...