The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, Thursday assured protesting retired police officers that the National Assembly will, next week, formally remove them from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), marking what appears to be a major breakthrough in their long-running agitation.
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The retirees, who have been keeping vigil at the entrance of the National Assembly complex over their inclusion in the scheme, for weeks, were received by Akpabio in his office on Thursday.
The Senate President said the chamber would immediately align with the House of Representatives, which had already passed the bill to exempt the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS.
A statement issued by Akpabio’s Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted the Senate President as saying the policy was “not well thought out” and had placed undue hardship on police personnel who risked their lives to secure the country.
Akpabio said, “Take it that you have to disperse from the gate. That problem, as far as the law is concerned, is over.
“On Tuesday next week, we will concur with what the House of Representatives has done and produce an Act exiting you from the Scheme.
“I know that President Bola Tinubu, being a listening President, would sign it into law. The Scheme is certainly not good for security personnel.”
Akpabio questioned why the Police remained under the CPS when other security agencies such as the military, DSS and NIA had been exempted.
He said, “If the Military, DSS, NIA and others had exited, I see no reason why the Police should remain while those in the echelon of the service are out of it.
“You all fought insecurity together. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. We will ensure that the Scheme is the same from the IG to the last constable.”
He lamented that Nigeria often “copies policies without thinking through their implications,” insisting that the CPS had been detrimental to many police retirees.
Earlier, the leader of the retirees, CSP Mannir Lawal Zaria, expressed gratitude for the rare opportunity to meet the Senate President and voiced optimism that their long-standing pension concerns would finally be resolved.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, in a brief vote of thanks, applauded Akpabio for his swift response and empathy toward the plight of the ex-officers.
With the Senate set to take concurrence action next week, and with presidential assent expected thereafter, the exit of police officers from the CPS now appears imminent.
It is a development many retirees have described as the first real step toward justice for thousands who served in the nation’s frontline security architecture.
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