The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday received a delegation from the Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria (ARPON), Lagos State Chapter, led by its Secretary, DSP Oluwashina Akilade (Rtd.), who appealed for intervention over delays and inadequate payment of pensions and gratuities under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Akilade said retired police officers continued to struggle to access their benefits, while other security agencies, including the military and other Federal Government institutions, had exited the scheme.
He stressed the Nigeria Police Force’s importance to national security and said retired officers deserved improved welfare after years of service.
Akilade also lamented the financial hardship caused by delayed payments and rising living costs, noting that the association had approached stakeholders and was seeking political and institutional intervention.
He urged the House to draw relevant authorities’ attention to their plight, particularly as they awaited Presidential assent to legislation addressing their pension concerns.
Responding, Majority Leader Hon. Noheem Adams, alongside the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, and Chairman of the House Committee on Tourism, Hon. Bonu Solomon, welcomed the delegation and acknowledged the retirees’ contributions and sacrifices.
Adams said the House had noted their concerns and would communicate them to its leadership, assuring the delegation that their contact details would be obtained and that the leadership would be engaged before reverting to them.
He also acknowledged their reference to National Assembly legislation on the matter, saying the House would await further developments, and expressed solidarity with the retirees in their quest for improved welfare.
