Anxiety as police dump FG’s pension scheme

Anxiety has risen among serving and retired policemen nationwide over what will happen to billions of police funds being managed by various Pension Fund Administrators in the country, following the decision of the Nigeria Police Force to set up its own pension scheme.

Saturday PUNCH checks revealed that the policemen are worried that the pension funds, which runs into billions of Naira, may be lost to the PFAs, some of whom they accuse of short -changing them.

This is just as the Federal Government has sealed the fate of embattled chairman of the Pension Reforms Task Team, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina, by replacing him with a substantive Director of the Federal Civil Service, Mrs. Olabisi Jaji.

Jaji who until her redeployment was a Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Environment takes over Maina’s position in the Customs, Immigration, Prisons Pensions Office.

Some retired policemen, who spoke to our correspondents under condition of anonymity, also complained about the disparity in the payment they received which they said was not the same as what was paid to their counterparts on the same rank and grade levels in the Nigerian Prisons and Nigerian Immigration Service.

They alleged that they were paid lesser than their counterparts in other services.

They also expressed worry over a clause in their pension forms that states that they would only be paid for a particular number of years.

“The PFAs said we would be paid for a number of years after our retirement but we were supposed to be paid for life, according to the 2004 pension Act. This might be a ploy to deny us our dues which would run into billions of Naira,” a retired police officer said.

He stated that he retired in 2011, but was paid a paltry N1.2m, which was not enough to cater for his family.

Some of the ex-policemen claimed that they were paid 50 per cent lump sum while others got 30 per cent, a disparity that was not explained to them.

Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed to one of  our correspondents that the police high command had set up its own scheme.

He, however, gave the assurance that every pension account with the PFAs would be transferred to the new police pension scheme, adding that everything was being done to ensure that the post-retirement life of every police officer was not jeopardised.

Mba explained that many policemen were not satisfied with the way the PFAs handled their pension, hence the support given to the decision of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to set a pension administration for the force.

Mba noted that the police pension scheme would ensure that every retired police officer get his pension payment as and when due.

He said, “The IG is working hard to ensure that the police pension scheme takes off soon and I can assure you that every serving and retired policeman will have his pension account taken care of by the scheme.

“The military has done it; since they started managing their pension scheme, we no longer see retired military personnel blocking roads in protest.

“The police will ensure that its retired officers are taken care of; no one will lose his money to any of the PFAs because all accounts will be transferred to the police pension scheme.”

Saturday PUNCH learnt from Presidency sources that the decision to appoint Jaji as the new PRTT boss followed the absence of Maina from duty without official Leave.

The PRTT chairman is presently on the run and facing disciplinary action for refusing to appear before the Senate Committee on Pensions.

A circular from the Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation (Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office) with Ref. No. HCSF:PSO/002/S.1/111, dated February 25 and signed by Pemanent Secretary (CMO), Dr. James Obiegbu, said, “All handover and takeover formalities should be completed on or before Tuesday March 5, 2013.”

It was learnt that government used the deployment of 15 Directors of Administration (Salary Grade Level 17) in the Federal Civil Service in deciding Maina’s fate.

The circular was copied to President Goodluck Jonathan, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, all Ministers/Ministers of State, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Special Advisers/Senior Special Assistants, Service Chiefs and Inspector-General of Police.

Others are the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission, all Permanent Secretaries, Chairman, Police Service Commission, Accountant-General of the Federation, Auditor-General of the Federation, Surveyor-General of the Federation, Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Directors-General and Chief Executives of Parastatals and Agencies of government.

PUNCH