A group of retired police officers in Imo State have called on the Federal Government to immediately remove them from the contributory pension scheme, describing it as “unfair” and “disadvantageous” to their welfare.

The retired officers staged a peaceful protest on Tuesday at the gates of the Imo State Police Command and the Government House in Owerri.
Chanting solidarity songs, they carried placards with inscriptions such as “Exit us from contributory pension,” and “Mr President, police pension board is our stand, we say no to CPS.”

Speaking during the demonstration, the chairman of the Police Senior Citizens Forum, Prince Amanze, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to approve the withdrawal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and to endorse the proposed N758.9 billion bond to clear outstanding pension liabilities.

According to the group, the Nigeria Police is the only government establishment operating multiple pension systems simultaneously covering the Inspector-General of Police, Deputy Inspectors-General, and Assistant Inspectors-General which they described as “confusing and unjust.”

The protesters argued that the scheme had failed to guarantee their financial security after decades of service. “We have been neglected for too long. Our dignity has been trampled upon by a system that does not recognise our sacrifice,” Amanze said.
Addressing the demonstrators, Imo State Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma acknowledged their grievances and promised to forward their demands to the relevant authorities for urgent consideration.

At the Government House, Adamu Gboyako, Chief Security Officer to Governor Hope Uzodimma, assured the retirees that the state government was already engaging with their leadership to find sustainable ways to improve their welfare.

The Contributory Pension Scheme, introduced in 2004 under the Pension Reform Act, requires employers and employees to contribute jointly to individual retirement accounts.

However, police retirees have long complained that the system leaves them at a disadvantage compared to counterparts under the defined benefit pension structure.