Police Commission urges retired officers to shelve protest

|By Adejumo Adekunle-

…Advises on dialogue over confrontation
…Says planned action could derail ongoing pension reform talks

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has urged retired police officers across the country to suspend their planned nationwide protest, emphasizing that their concerns are already receiving attention from relevant government agencies.

In a press statement issued on Saturday, the Head of Press and Public Relations at the Commission, Ikechukwu Ani, described the planned action as “ill-advised” and “diversionary,” especially at a time when efforts are underway to address the longstanding issues affecting retired officers.

“The issues affecting retired officers are currently under review by concerned government stakeholders,” Ani stated. “The planned protest appears to be in bad faith, considering the near consensus already forming around the need to address their condition.”

According to the PSC, its Chairman, retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Hashimu Argungu, has repeatedly condemned the discriminatory and unequal pension structure for some categories of retired police officers. The Commission noted that Argungu has made consistent calls for a unified and democratized police pension scheme to end the disparity.

“DIG Argungu has never wavered in advocating for a streamlined and fair pension scheme for the Nigerian Police,” Ani noted.

The statement further added that the Commission is committed to improving the welfare of both serving and retired officers and urged the aggrieved retirees to embrace dialogue and sustained engagement as the more effective path to resolving their concerns.

“Rather than confrontation, the Commission believes that peaceful negotiation remains the most productive avenue for redress,” it said.

The Commission also advised the coordinators of the planned protest to reconsider their stance, stressing that any form of disruption could pose a serious distraction to the nation’s democratic process at a sensitive time.

“The country cannot afford any destabilization at this stage,” the Commission warned. “Returning to the negotiation table is the more patriotic choice.”