Retired Police Officers Seek FG Intervention Over Nonpayment Of Gratuity

Retired Police Officers captured under the National Pension Commission have appealed to the Federal Government to direct the appropriate authorities to pay their gratuities and alleviate their suffering.

The officers under the Association of Retired Police Officers, Kogi branch, made the appeal in a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja signed by state Chairman of the association, Alex Yusuf (CSP rtd) and the Secretary, Jerome Ameh (ASP rtd) in Lokoja.

The retired officers particularly urged Federal Government to impress on the Acting Director-General of PENCOM, Inspector-General of Police and the Police Pensions Ltd, to “kindly” make the payments.

The gratuity, according to them, is 300 per cent of the retirees’ gross salary as at the time of retirement, 15 and 33 per cent pension increase of 2007 and 2014.

They referred to a motion by Wole Oke on the floor of the House of Representatives in 2017 on behalf of the Police and Paramilitary retirees to exit them from the contributory pension scheme.

The retired officers said resulting from the resolution of the House on the issue, a tripartite Committee was constituted to address their plight, adding that the committee comprised the National Pension Commission, the Nigeria Police, the NPF Pension Limited.

They added that the tripartite committee resolved that the 15 per cent increase of 2007 and 33 per cent review subsequently approved in 2014 be worked out and incorporated into the 2018 budget proposals for payment.

It stated that the resolution was based on the instructions of the inter-ministerial committee handling the pension arrears.

They said that the figures were worked out and submitted to the Federal Ministry of Finance before September 1, 2017 “but amazingly, we are yet to be paid”.

They said: “We, therefore, demand payment of 15 per cent of 2007 and 33 per cent review of 2014 subsequently approved, 300 per cent of our gratuity and all other benefits due to us in line with the constitution.”

They pleaded with affected authorities to ensure that the pension of retirees were harmonised with serving members before the advent of PENCOM, for uniformity.

They noted that there would be no need to agitate for exit from PENCOM, once the issues were addressed.