Retired personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) at the weekend in Benin, Edo State, expressed concern voer what they termed “gross isolation and neglect by their pension managers of the PENCOM Act 2004”.

They said they were in the dark on what accrued from their contributed pension scheme after 35 years of service in the country.  President General of the association, Dr. Moses Ajeka, made the lamentation while inaugurating Edo State Chapter, Elders Club of Nigeria (PENCOM retired police officers) in Benin.  According to him, the club, which came into being in October 2010, was an umbrella body of the retirees aimed at correcting the challenges arising from the PENCOM Act.

“We are the owners of this money.  It should be given back to us.  We don’t even know our fund administrators; nobody knows how the money is being used.  At the end of the month, they only give you whatever they like.

“Also while in service, we contributed towards the National Health Scheme.  We are being denied the benefits now because we have retired.

“Having served our father land for 35 years, we are supposed to be given those benefits till death”, Ajeka said.

He urged the National Assembly to do justice to the ongoing amendment to the PENCOM Act to eliminate the untold hardship of the retired officers.  Besides, Ajeka decried the recruitment of persons who failed to find jobs in other places but come to the force as a last resort, pointing out that such recruits were likely to bring the name of the force into disrepute.

He however, lauded President Jonathan on the appointment of ex-Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro as the Chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC), saying that, “being one of our own who understands the plight of the police is just the little push the officers need”.

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