LAGOS JULY 30TH (NEWSRANGERS)-The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, says the poor state of retirees, particularly those under the Contributory Pension Scheme, was affecting the morale of serving officers.
According to him, there is a growing and deep-rooted anxiety among serving officers, born from the belief, rightly or wrongly, that retirement is a descent into hardship.
Egbetokun stated this at the Force Headquarters Abuja on Tuesday during a strategic meeting with senior police officers on the rank of Commissioners of Police (CP) and above.
Daily Trust had reported how hundreds of retired police officers hit the streets nationwide last week to demand their immediate exit from the scheme.
Speaking before the meeting went into a closed-door, Egbetokun said the living conditions of retired officers were unacceptable given the sacrifices they made while in service.
“This has turned retirement into a period of hardship and regret, eroding the confidence of serving officers, who now see their own future with fear rather than hope.
“This fear has become so pervasive that it is having a noticeable demoralising effect on morale across ranks,” the top cop lamented.
The police boss noted that efforts to sensitise officers about the CPS have been misunderstood, adding that despite the misrepresentation, the police leadership would continue to advocate for their removal.
He added, “Attempts made to educate them on the operation of the Contributory Pensions Scheme have been taken as attempts to keep them in perpetual bondage of the CPS.
“One area I remain deeply committed to is the welfare of our retired officers under the Contributory Pensions Scheme, CPS. Their post-service condition is heartbreaking and morally unacceptable.
“Today, most retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force live in conditions that are not only unacceptable but humiliating, given the sacrifices they made in service to the nation.
“Their monthly pension under the CPS is maximally low and roughly inadequate to meet even the most basic needs. Many can no longer afford health care, housing, or a life of dignity.”
Egbetokun, however, stated that the police leadership had initiated efforts to augment the pension of retired officers and had presented its position to the National Assembly during the public hearing of the bill seeking to exempt the police from the scheme.
DailyTrust
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