The Nigerian Police Force’s retired and serving personnel have criticized pension fund operators for claiming that the Federal Government would need approximately 7 trillion to fund police pensions if the Force exits the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). The officers described this claim, made by the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), as misleading and an attempt to scare the government into retaining the police in a scheme they deem unjust and unsuitable for policing duties.
The police retirees, who have staged protests across the country, expressed deep dissatisfaction with the CPS and its impact on their welfare in retirement. PenOp had warned that allowing the police to opt out of the CPS would impose a significant financial burden on the Federal Government. However, the retired officers dismissed this warning as baseless, describing it as a “recurring and pernicious propaganda” that prioritizes fiscal arithmetic over justice, equity, and national security.
The officers challenged PenOp to provide credible statistics to justify the 7 trillion figure, arguing that police retirement benefits should not be presented as the pillars of Nigeria’s economy. They emphasized that portraying the issue solely as a fiscal burden ignores the peculiar realities of policing, which expose officers to death, injury, and psychological trauma daily.
The retirees also warned pension operators against usurping the roles of the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria, noting that only these institutions are constitutionally empowered to shape fiscal and monetary policy. They argued that the CPS is incompatible with the nature of police work and that pursuing fiscal sustainability at the expense of police welfare, morale, and effectiveness is dangerous for internal security.
The officers condemned the selective and discriminatory retention of the police in the CPS, pointing out that other security agencies, National Assembly workers, and some state employees operate pension systems outside the scheme. They described security as an investment rather than an expense, highlighting that the economic cost of insecurity already far outweighs any pension liability.
The retirees rejected claims that not all police officers want to exit the CPS, insisting that both serving and retired personnel share a common position against the scheme. They criticized PenOp over alleged opaque investment practices involving pension funds, arguing that returns on such investments have not reflected in the welfare of pensioners.
In light of these concerns, the retirees called for a total exit of the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS and the establishment of a Police Pension Board. They warned that retaining the police alone in the scheme amounts to policy hypocrisy that could undermine national security. The demand for a revised pension system reflects the deep-seated dissatisfaction among police personnel with the current scheme and its impact on their welfare and the country’s security.
