Bill to establish police pension board passes second reading at senate

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

The upper legislative chamber passed the bill after Binos Yaroe, senator representing Adamawa south, led the debate on it.

Yaroe said the police, whose principal duty it is to protect lives and property of citizens, does not enjoy pension schemes like other security agencies.

The Adamawa senator said the aim of the bill is to place the police on the same level with other security agencies.

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

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

Also contributing to the debate, Mohammed Monguno, senator representing Borno north, said the legislation is important because of the role of the police.

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

In May, some retired police officers besieged the national assembly over unpaid pensions.

The retirees demanded that they be removed from the contributory pension scheme.

In a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the retirees said many of them have lost their lives due to the prevailing economic hardship.