Retired police officers under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum, Ogun State chapter, yesterday staged a peaceful protest in Abeokuta, urging President Bola Tinubu to assent to the bill seeking to exempt police personnel from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The protesters said the proposed legislation, which has been passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to the President for assent, would pave the way for the establishment of a Police Pension Board to manage the pensions of retired police personnel.

They marched through parts of Abeokuta, carrying placards with inscriptions including, “Governor Dapo Abiodun, help us beg President Tinubu to exit us, please,” and “On total exit of the Nigeria Police Force from Contributory Pension Scheme and establishment of Police Pension Board, we stand.”

Speaking during the protest, the assistant coordinator of the forum in Ogun State, Oyekunle Oyetola, said the demonstration was part of the retirees’ sustained campaign for the Federal Government to remove the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS.

Oyetola lamented the impact of rising inflation and the increasing cost of food and healthcare on retired police officers, saying many retirees were struggling to meet their basic needs.

He said the financial difficulties had made it challenging for some retirees to afford adequate medical care, which he claimed had contributed to deaths among members of the group.

Oyetola questioned why the police had not been exempted from the CPS despite repeated protests by retired police officers.

He also argued that the police should be treated in the same manner as some other security agencies that have been excluded from the contributory pension arrangement.

According to him, the proposed Police Pension Board would provide a dedicated structure for managing the pensions and welfare of retired police personnel.

He urged Tinubu to assent to the bill, saying doing so would address some of the welfare concerns of serving and retired police officers and restore confidence in the pension system.

“We are using this protest to mark one year of our agitation. Since the National Assembly passed the bill, President Bola Tinubu is yet to assent to it.

“We are begging the President to sign the bill, remove us from PenCom and establish a Police Pension Board to take care of our pensions,” he said.

Oyetola added: “We want to exit the Contributory Pension Scheme because we believe it does not favour retired police officers, from senior officers down to constables.

“Our members are dying because they do not have enough money to feed themselves and take care of their medical bills.” (The Guardian)