Precious Nwonu, Enugu

Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu has proposed a 200 per cent gratuity for retired police officers as part of efforts to reform the Nigeria Police Force’s pension system and improve retirement benefits.

The proposal is before a presidential committee set up to examine pension-related concerns among police personnel and recommend lasting solutions to the challenges affecting serving and retired officers.

The committee includes representatives of the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, the Budget Office of the Federation and the National Pension Commission.

Under the proposed arrangement, eligible officers would receive an enhanced gratuity, with pension benefits linked to their last salaries.

The initiative is also expected to address repeated protests by serving police officers demanding withdrawal from the Contributory Pension Scheme, an issue that has generated persistent controversy within the force.

The proposed reforms seek to resolve outstanding pension liabilities, improve payments to retirees and establish a more effective system for administering police pensions.

The plan could also cover officers who retired before a new pension framework is introduced, with provisions to review their benefits in line with any revised terms.

The proposal comes amid renewed efforts by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to address complaints from retired officers over inadequate pension benefits, delayed payments and administrative bottlenecks.

The Federal Government has reportedly cleared outstanding pension arrears that previously left some retirees waiting for up to two years. Pension increases have also been introduced, with some beneficiaries receiving almost twice their previous payments.

Disu’s engagements with the Presidency, PenCom and other relevant institutions are expected to support efforts to resolve outstanding funding issues, pension liabilities and administrative challenges.

However, the proposed 200 per cent gratuity has not been approved. Its implementation will depend on the presidential committee’s recommendations, government approval, funding arrangements and the guidelines eventually adopted.

The final decision is expected to clarify who will qualify for the enhanced benefits and whether the reforms will cover serving officers nearing retirement as well as existing pensioners.