The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has questioned the status of the bill passed by the National Assembly seeking to remove the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and establish a Police Pension Board.
RULAAC raised the concern following reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed an increase in the monthly pensions of retired police officers as part of efforts by the Federal Government and the National Pension Commission (PenCom) to address longstanding grievances over police pensions.
In a statement issued on Monday, October 5, 2026, and signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, the organisation said the reported pension increase raised fundamental questions about the fate of the legislation already passed by the National Assembly.
The group asked: “What, therefore, has become of the bill?”
It queried whether the President had declined assent, whether the legislation remained under consideration, or whether the Executive had decided to pursue an alternative arrangement designed by PenCom without formally communicating its position on the bill.
The National Assembly had passed legislation providing for the Nigeria Police Force to exit the CPS and establish a Police Pension Board, with the bill subsequently transmitted to the President for assent.
RULAAC noted that despite the passage of the legislation, retired police officers had continued to protest and demand presidential assent to the bill.
It also pointed out that retired police officers had publicly rejected proposals to retain the Police under the CPS with enhanced benefits, insisting instead on complete withdrawal from the scheme.
The organisation therefore questioned whether recognised groups representing retired police officers were meaningfully consulted before the latest pension arrangement was developed.
“Were they invited to participate in discussions with the Presidency and PenCom? Were their objections to continued membership of the CPS considered?” RULAAC asked.
The group also demanded to know what alternatives were presented to the retirees and what responses their representatives gave to the proposals.
According to RULAAC, pension reform should not simply be something done for retired police officers but must involve those whose livelihoods and dignity in retirement are directly affected.
“Those whose livelihoods and dignity in retirement are directly affected should have a meaningful voice in determining the system under which their pensions will be administered,” it said.
RULAAC further raised concerns about transparency and accountability in the management of pension resources, citing longstanding public concerns over pension administration, including allegations of mismanagement, diversion of funds, delayed payments, administrative failures and corruption.
The organisation, however, stressed that it was not suggesting that unproven allegations should be treated as established facts.
“But neither should legitimate concerns about the governance and management of pension resources be ignored,” it said.
It called on the Federal Government and PenCom to disclose how the proposed enhanced police pension arrangement would operate, who would manage the funds and what safeguards would be put in place against mismanagement or abuse.
RULAAC also demanded details of independent auditing and oversight mechanisms, as well as measures that would enable retirees to challenge irregularities or failures in the administration of their benefits.
The group said the situation also raised a constitutional and institutional question, given that the National Assembly had already exercised its legislative authority by passing a bill on the matter.
While acknowledging the President’s constitutional power to assent to or withhold assent from legislation transmitted to him, RULAAC said leaving the bill unresolved while pursuing an apparently different administrative solution could create uncertainty and undermine confidence in the process.
RULAAC called on the Presidency to clarify the present status of the Police Pension Board Bill and whether the President intended to assent to or withhold assent from it.
It also demanded clarification on whether the newly announced pension increase was intended as an alternative to withdrawing the Police from the CPS and which organisations representing serving and retired police officers were consulted before the alternative was developed.
The group further asked government to disclose the financial and actuarial basis of the proposed arrangement, safeguards for independent auditing and accountability, and mechanisms to protect serving and retired officers against corruption, mismanagement, arbitrary deductions and delayed payments.
RULAAC said police officers deserved dignity in retirement, but argued that such dignity should go beyond an increase in monthly pension payments.
“It also requires certainty, participation, transparency and accountability,” the organisation said.
It urged the Presidency, PenCom, the Nigeria Police Force, the National Assembly and representatives of retired police officers to engage openly and urgently to resolve the uncertainty surrounding police pensions.
“The issue is no longer simply how much retired police officers will receive every month,” RULAAC said.
“It is also who decides, who manages the money, who exercises oversight, what has become of the legislation passed by Parliament, and whether the people whose future is being decided were actually heard.”
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