Police Pensions: RULAAC queries President Tinubu, PenCom over National Assembly Bill

Stanley Ihedigbo

Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has demanded clarification from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Pension Commission (PenCom) over the status of the bill passed by the National Assembly seeking to remove the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

RULAAC, in a statement issued on Monday, signed by its Executive Director, Com. Okechukwu Nwanguma said the reported decision by President Tinubu to increase the monthly pensions of retired police officers raises fundamental questions about the future of police pension administration.

The organisation said rather than celebrating the proposed increase immediately, the Presidency and PenCom should explain what has become of the legislation passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to the President for assent.

According to RULAAC, the National Assembly had passed legislation providing for the exit of the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS and the establishment of a Police Pension Board.

It, however, noted that months after the bill was transmitted to the President, retired police officers were still protesting and demanding presidential assent.

The organisation asked whether the President had declined to assent to the bill, whether it was still under consideration, or whether the Executive had decided to pursue an alternative arrangement designed by PenCom.

RULAAC also questioned whether recognised organisations representing retired police officers were meaningfully consulted before the latest pension arrangement was developed.

“Were they invited to participate in discussions with the Presidency and PenCom? Were their objections to continued membership of the CPS considered? What alternatives were presented to them, and what was their response?” the group asked.

It argued that pension reform should not simply be something done for retired police officers, stressing that those whose livelihoods and dignity in retirement are directly affected should have a meaningful voice in determining the system under which their pensions will be administered.

The organisation also raised concerns about transparency, accountability and governance in the management of pension resources.

While stressing that unproven allegations should not be treated as facts, RULAAC said legitimate concerns about the governance and management of pension funds should not be ignored.

It therefore called on the Federal Government and PenCom to disclose how the proposed enhanced police pension arrangement would operate, who would manage the funds, the safeguards that would prevent mismanagement or abuse, and the independent auditing and oversight mechanisms that would be put in place.

RULAAC further asked how retired police officers would be able to challenge irregularities or failures in the administration of their pension benefits.

The group also raised a constitutional and institutional concern over the handling of the National Assembly’s legislation.

It noted that while the Executive is constitutionally empowered to assent to or withhold assent from legislation presented to the President, leaving the bill unresolved while apparently pursuing a different administrative solution could create uncertainty over government policy and undermine public confidence in the process.

RULAAC consequently called on the Presidency to clarify the current status of the Nigeria Police Force Pension Board Bill transmitted to the President.

It also demanded to know whether President Tinubu intends to assent to or withhold assent from the bill and whether the newly announced pension increase is intended as an alternative to removing the Police from the CPS.

The organisation further requested details of the organisations representing serving and retired police officers that were consulted, the concerns and proposals they presented, and how the government responded.

It also called for disclosure of the financial and actuarial basis of the proposed arrangement, as well as safeguards for transparency, independent auditing and accountability in the management of police pension funds.

RULAAC urged the government to establish mechanisms capable of protecting serving and retired police officers against corruption, mismanagement, arbitrary deductions, delayed payments and other administrative failures.

The organisation maintained that police officers deserve dignity in retirement, but argued that such dignity should not be reduced to an announcement of an increase in monthly pension payments.

“It also requires certainty, participation, transparency and accountability,” RULAAC said.

The rights group urged the Presidency, PenCom, the Nigeria Police Force, the National Assembly and representatives of retired police officers to engage openly and urgently to resolve the uncertainty surrounding the pension reform.

It said the issue was no longer simply about how much retired police officers would receive each month, but also about who decides, who manages the money, who exercises oversight, what has become of the legislation passed by Parliament, and whether the people whose future is being decided were actually heard.