The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill seeking to establish the Nigeria Police Force Pension Board and exempt police personnel from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
The bill, which scaled through third (final) reading, seeks to create a dedicated pension board to oversee the administration of pensions, gratuities, and other retirement benefits for serving and retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
Titled “A Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigerian Police Force Pension Board charged with the Responsibility of Administering the Pension Scheme for the Personnel of the Force and to Exempt the Force from the Application of the Contributory Pension Scheme under the Pension Reform Act, 2014 and for Related Matters (HB. 979),” the legislation was sponsored by the House Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere.
According to Ihonvbere, the proposed law aims to address persistent complaints by police personnel over delays, inequities, and bureaucratic bottlenecks under the current contributory pension system managed by the National Pension Commission (PenCom).
The passage of the bill coincided with a protest by retired police officers at the National Assembly complex, who decried the hardship they face under the existing pension arrangement.
If signed into law and the board established, the Nigeria Police Force Pension Board will have the mandate to manage and disburse retirement benefits directly, providing a system tailored to the peculiar needs and risks associated with police service.
