THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has raised alarm over what he described as the deplorable living conditions of retired police officers, particularly those affected by the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), warning that the current state of affairs is severely undermining the morale of serving personnel.
News Point Nigeria reports that speaking at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday during a high-level strategy session with senior officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police and above, Egbetokun painted a grim picture of life after service for Nigerian police retirees.
He disclosed that the widespread perception among officers that retirement equals suffering has created a deep sense of anxiety and despair, which is gradually corroding motivation within the Force.
“Among serving officers, there exists a growing and deep-rooted anxiety, born from the belief, rightly or wrongly, that retirement is a descent into hardship,” he said. “This fear has become so pervasive that it is having a noticeable demoralising effect on morale across ranks.”
The Inspector-General’s comments come against the backdrop of recent protests by retired officers across the country, who took to the streets last week demanding their immediate exit from the controversial Contributory Pension Scheme.
Many of the retirees say the scheme has subjected them to a life of indignity and poverty, despite decades of dedicated service.
According to Egbetokun, these fears are not misplaced. He described the post-service conditions of many retired officers as “heartbreaking” and “morally unacceptable,” emphasizing that their monthly pensions are grossly inadequate to meet even the most basic living needs.
“Today, most retired officers of the Nigerian Police Force live in conditions that are not only unacceptable but humiliating, given the sacrifices they made in service to the nation,” he lamented.
“Their monthly pension under the CPS is maximally low and roughly inadequate to meet even the most basic needs. Many can no longer afford health care, housing, or a life of dignity.”
He acknowledged that efforts by the police leadership to educate serving officers on the workings of the CPS had been misinterpreted as an attempt to normalize the suffering of retirees.
“Attempts made to educate them on the operation of the Contributory Pensions Scheme have been taken as attempts to keep them in perpetual bondage of the CPS,” he noted.
Despite the resistance and criticism, Egbetokun assured officers that the police leadership remains steadfast in its advocacy for a more humane retirement framework.
He revealed that a formal proposal for the exemption of police personnel from the CPS has already been submitted to the National Assembly and was presented during a public hearing on the issue.
“One area I remain deeply committed to is the welfare of our retired officers under the CPS,” the IGP emphasized. “We have initiated efforts to augment their pension, and our position has been clearly presented at the National Assembly.”
The IGP’s intervention marks one of the strongest institutional criticisms yet of the CPS as it applies to the police, echoing longstanding concerns about the fairness and suitability of the scheme for security personnel who face high-risk conditions in service.
