Police officers allege disappearance of retirement approval letters

•Files transferred to Force Headquarters, says PSC

Police officers, who recently retired from the force, have alleged disappearance of their retirement approval letters, which could help them access their benefits.

The Guardian learnt that officers traditionally apply six months to their retirement date, and often, their retirement approvals from Police Service Commission do arrive a month to their retirement.

The reason for the six months notice, it was learnt was to enable them get their retirement approval letters on time, because without them, they would not be able to process their entitlements.

According to a source, a cooperative account cannot be accessed without approval letter as officers save enough money to take care of themselves in the cooperative, with hope of getting them in time before their pensions arrived.

A concerned officer, who spoke with The Guardian on condition of anonymity, said it has never happened before, as all the approval letters from Police Service Commission are nowhere to be found.

The officer lamented that the affected retirees did not see the letters to process their entitlements, they cannot access their savings in the cooperative, access their insurance, nor process their pensions, even though six months arrears are still pending.

He said that the police authority used to pay in arrears at once. “It has never happened that some officers were paid and some left out, the police authority said Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) was responsible for the delay in arrears.

“Officers are appealing to Police Service Commission to investigate the whereabouts of retirement approval letters of retirees, so that they can process their entitlements. For those retired on March 15, 2023, some were only paid half salary while some were not paid anything. In the police before, if you work up to 15 years, you’re entitled to the full payment, but now your salary would be stopped immediately and the approval letters are nowhere to be found.

“The Public Relations Officer (PRO), Police Service Commission and Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) should tell the world why the letters were being delayed.”

When contacted, the PRO, Police Service Commission, Ikechukwu Ani, said: “I spoke to the head of the department of police recruitment, because retirement is under the department, and I was told that there is no such incident in the commission.

“When police officers send their files, they process their letters and send them to the Force Headquarters. The commission only gets their files and raises their letters confirming that they have retired and the letters are sent with a covering note to the force. There is no missing letter in the commission.”

When The Guardian reached out to the FPRO, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, he simply said: “I am not aware.”