By Bisi Bamishe
Amid calls from some quarters for the police to exit the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), the military which exited the Scheme some years ago is having challenges in the payment of pensions to retired service personnel.
It will be recalled that a bill for the police to exit the CPS, sponsored by Senator Binos Dauda Yaroe, representing Adamawa South, has been passed by the National Assembly and is awaiting presidential assent.
However, the military which exited some years back is beginning to record delays in the payment of pension benefits.
Two days ago, ex-servicemen staged a peaceful protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja over non payment of pension benefits.
The President of the Ex-Service Men and Family Welfare Association of Nigeria, Anthony Agbas, during the rally urged the government to pay all their pension arrears and other entitlements.
He said that military pensioners in the country had endured financial hardship and pain over the years.
“We were told the money has been approved for a long time, but we have not received anything. Our requests are: payment of our palliatives and their arrears from October 2023 to November 2024; payment of the 20 to 28 per cent salary increment and its arrears from January to November;
“We also request the payment of N32,000 flat rate and its arrears from July to November, payment of the new National Minimum Wage increment and the arrears from July to November, among others,” he said.
Agbas said that the association was an umbrella body made up of several associations of retired members of the Nigerian Armed Forces and their families.
An official of the Ministry of Finance, who addressed the protesters, said that their request had been approved and was being processed.
Meanwhile, it will be recalled that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has kicked against the bill seeking to exempt the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) saying that it will not favour the police force.
Egbetokun who stated this while addressing some police officers noted that if the police exit the CPS, they will go back to square one.
