Police retirees protest housing funds, PENCOM

Scores of police retirees under the aegis of the Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria (ARPON), on Tuesday, protested the perceived injustice meted out to them by the National Housing Fund, National Pension Commission (PENCOM) and National Health Insurance Scheme.

The retired officers, who marched on the major streets of Ilorin, started the protest at the Government Day Secondary School (GSS) roundabout and moved to PENCOM and National Housing Funds offices, House of Assembly, Government House and the police headquarters.

The placard-carrying retirees urged the authorities to “either redress this injustice or refund the balance of our money being managed by pension fund administrators.”

Some of the placards read: ‘After serving for 35 years meritoriously, take home pay is N20,000,’ ‘Pension for life,’ ‘Sai Baba, Sai Buhari SOS,’ ‘PMB should empower EFCC/ICPC to investigate PENCOM,’ ‘National Health Insurance Scheme: Why has this service been stopped for retired police officers?’

Addressing reporters, the state Chairman of ARPON, Yakubu Abdul, said: “The non-refund of contributions to the National Housing Funds after either turning 60 or 35 years in service is worrisome.

“Some of our members, who retired in 2010, 2011 and 2012 are yet to receive their refund. Necessary documents have been processed through the Nigeria Police Force, which made deductions at source. “Now that we have retired before the collection of the housing loan advance, why the unnecessary delay in refunding our money?”

He added that the retired policemen and their families enjoyed the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) when they were in service.

Abdul said: “We are surprised that this health service has been cut-off from police retirees. Our colleagues in sister agencies are still enjoying this amenity. Why the discrimination?

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“Retired police officers on contributory pension scheme were paid according to their ranks on verification, instead of the ranks they were promoted to before retirement. This trend has denied many of our members the opportunity of being paid their accurate gratuity or pension.

“Consequently, police contributors to this scheme have found it difficult to define their income at retirement. They are often faced with difficulties to rectify this anomaly, thereby remaining shortchanged.

“Retired police officers under contributory pension scheme from 2010 are being paid 25 per cent lump sum, while Federal Government agencies enjoy 50 per cent payment as lump sum. This disparity needs to be addressed to favour all.

“There should be an arrangement for pensioners under the contributory pension scheme to draw pension till death, as our counterparts in the old scheme.”