Towards the end of their tenure, the 9th Nigerian Senate on 6th June 2023 passed the bill for the establishment of a Police Pension Board, a move that will exempt the police from the National Pension Commission (PenCom). A retired Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP Muhammad Bello Tambuwal, in this interview tells Daily Trust Saturday reasons why President Ahmed Bola Tinubu should sign the bill and the hardships police officers go through before and after retirement.
The Senate has signed the Police Pension Board Bill which, if the president signs, will exempt you from the PenCom, what are you expecting now?
It is a welcome development for us and the next thing for this new president to sign it. The police play a key role in securing the country but at the end of the day, the officers and men end up as beggars, especially those at the lower levels. Policemen are suffering in the respect of their salary. Staying in this PenCom after our retirement is not fair at all.
I retired from the police as ASP, but they divided my money into four and gave me one quarter, which is not up to N2 million. They gave me N1.75m after serving the country for 35 years. For the pension, they give me N30, 000 monthly. How do you think we can cope with this? I have more than N3m in my account, but I have to just watch it, I cannot borrow even N10, 000 out of the money.
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So, that was why we went severally to the National Assembly seeking for us to be exempted from Pencom, and they have done their own. It is now for the president to sign it.
Why is it only the retirees that are calling for this, doesn’t it affect other senior officers and serving police officers?
The IGs, AIGs and DIGs have already exempted themselves from the system. They are now enjoying their full benefits. Initially, the police, army and DSS were supposed to enjoy full benefit after retirement. That is the agreement we signed when we were recruited. We are entitled to our basic salary and full benefit even after retirement until our death. But only the DSS, army and other paramilitaries are enjoying this. We were forced into Contributory Pension Services (CPS).
But later, the IGs, AIGs and DIGs went and worked for their cadre. They are now enjoying full benefit. But all of us from the level of Commissioner of Police down to constabularies are under PenCom. I wonder how they left and abandoned their children here to suffer, while we are the real field officers. They engaged us in a system that is not fair after convincing us that it is the best.
So, we are not doing this alone. It is on behalf of all of us and the serving police officers. Those that are still serving cannot speak up, since they are still working.
It is said that exempting you from the PenCom will incur N2trillion liabilities on the FG, don’t you think this is the reason why they didn’t consider you?
So, because of our benefits Nigeria cannot pay salary? Look at all the money they are looting every day. Look at what EFCC is doing, recovering money from looters every day, yet cannot account for it. Is it our benefits that will take the country backward? This is not in the favour of the Nigeria Police Force. And let me tell you, it is part of the reason why the system is not performing well. We stand to get bad payment after gallantly serving the country. Where is the morale?
But the past administration refused to exempt you from the system, why are you now insisting on this present government?
Do you know that we are the father of all uniform formations in this nation? A police officer is the father of every uniformed personnel. We are the grassroots of security; without the police you cannot achieve security in the country. Because they didn’t involve police properly in insecurity issues, that is why there is no security in Nigeria.
If you want to see result in the security of this nation, let’s try police. Just as they empowered the army into this system, let them empower the Nigeria police and give them their benefits. You will see the reaction. I see no reason why they should say that it will incur additional liabilities. Let them pay us with the money recovered from looters.
How are you approaching this new government with the issue?
I have hope that Mr. President will sign this bill. I am very optimistic and all of us rely on him. We have seen what he has done in these few days; they are good moves towards serving the country better. We have no union to speak for us but as retirees, we are speaking on behalf of our colleagues.
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