Bill To Establish Police Pension Board Passes Second Reading

A bill seeking for establishment of a police pension board has scaled second reading in the Senate.

Gatekeepers News reports that the upper legislative chamber passed the bill after Binos Yaroe, senator representing Adamawa south, Binos Yarow made the proposal.

Yaroe notes that police, whose principal duty is to protect lives and property of citizens, don’t enjoy pension schemes like other security agencies.

He added that the bill aims to place the police on the same level as other security agencies.

The senator said, “I wish to clearly state that the police is the principal law enforcement agency in Nigeria.”

“The broad objective of this bill is to boost equality with other security services.”

Senator representing Borno North, Mohammed Monguno who supported the passing of the bill, said the legislation is important because of police’s role.

After the bill was passed, deputy senate president, Jibrin Barau directed police affairs committee to submit its report to plenary within four weeks.

Before this, some retired police officers had through a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in May besieged national assembly over their unpaid pensions.

They demanded that they be removed from the contributory pension scheme.

The retirees asserted that many of them have lost their lives due to the prevailing economic hardship.