There are agitations within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for a review of the pension scheme for retired police officers who have spent over three decades serving the country.

Several agitated officers told the police authorities that the current pension scheme was impoverishing and making life miserable for their retired colleagues.

In a memo titled “Table of Police Pension after 35 Years in Service”, the officers begged the authorities for a bill to “exit the Nigeria Police from the Contributory Pension Scheme”.

According to the memo, a retired Police Inspector earns as low as N15,280.12 monthly while retired Assistant Superintendents 1 and 2 earn N25,100.26 and N28,000.02 respectively, and so on.

“Fellow police officers, this table should be shown to all those that assist in lobbying the National Assembly to amend the Contributory Pension Scheme,” the memo read.

The Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) was established under the Pension Reform Act of 2004, which was repealed and replaced with the Pension Reform Act in 2014.

CPS mandates a minimum contribution of eight to 10 percent of employees’ monthly emolument into the Retirement Savings Account (RSA).

READ ALSO: ‘This is Injustice’ — N432m ‘Stolen’ from 6,000 Policemen Via Illegal Salary Deductions

“The CPS is making life miserable for our retired officers,” a senior police officer told FIJ. “Other civil servants working in state and federal parastatals enjoy better pension scheme. Why is it that everything about the Police is always different?”

Another senior officer argued that reforming the Police, as demanded by Nigerians, is beyond curbing the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

“The police can only protect the citizens when they’re happy,” he said. “I can’t be working hard as a police officer and at the end of my service, after 35 years, earn N15,000 as pension. That’s too bad. Even a retired primary school teacher doesn’t deserve that.”

A retired Police Inspector, who spoke to FIJ, said life as a pensioner has been difficult for him since he left service in 2009.

“I retired as a Police Inspector in 2009 and since then, my pension has been 15,000 monthly,” he said. “It has not been easy for me. But I thank God that I have children taking care of me.”

FIj contacted Frank Mba, the spokesman of the Police Force, but his number was “switched off”. He has not responded to FIJ’s message as of the time of writing this report.