A retired Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, has urged retired police officers protesting over the contributory pension scheme to embrace dialogue, while calling on President Bola Tinubu to urgently implement proposed pension reforms to end the lingering crisis.
Scores of retired police officers and their families recently blocked one of the gates leading into the Presidential Villa in Abuja, to press home their demand for the removal of police officers from the contributory pension scheme.
The protest came less than a week after the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, met with the retirees at the Force Headquarters, where he pledged to champion their demands before President Tinubu and intensify engagement with the federal government on their welfare concerns.
The retirees, under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria, had staged a similar protest at the National Assembly in July 2025, insisting that continued participation in the contributory pension scheme was unacceptable.
Reacting to the latest development in a statement on Sunday, Owoseni, who retired in January 2019, said the president’s proposed Option B represents the most practical solution to improve the welfare of retired police officers.
He urged the federal government to move swiftly from policy pronouncements to implementation to restore the confidence of retirees who, he said, have lost faith in the system after years of inadequate pension payments.
“The good intention of Mr President should be expeditiously turned into reality. If by August or September retirees begin to see improvements in their bank alerts, it will demonstrate good faith.
“Many police retirees no longer trust government because of what they experienced during service,” Owoseni said.
Owoseni disclosed that the inspector-general of police had undertaken to harmonise the demands of the various groups of retired police officers before presenting a unified position to the president for approval.
He said reconciliation efforts had brought most of the factions together, adding that although one group initially demanded a complete exit from the contributory pension scheme, the majority had embraced the proposed Option B after being briefed on its benefits.
According to him, about 98.5 percent of retired police officers under the scheme now support the proposal, provided the government fulfils its commitments.
He urged the federal government to direct the Ministry of Finance and the National Pension Commission to ensure that the approved improvements are reflected in retirees’ monthly pension payments without delay.
Owoseni also called on PenCom to safeguard the funds managed by the Nigeria Police Force Pension Fund Administrator, alleging that vested interests were attempting to take control of the fund because of its size.
While acknowledging the constitutional right of retirees to peaceful protest, he criticised the continued street demonstrations by a faction of the retirees, describing some of their actions as inconsistent with the discipline and traditions of the police.
He argued that blocking major roads, insulting serving and retired senior police officers, and issuing ultimatums to the President were inappropriate for former members of a disciplined institution.
Owoseni also faulted the alleged mobilisation of police officers’ wives and other civilians to participate in the protests, warning that such actions could encourage public disorder.
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He maintained that some protesters appeared unwilling to consider alternative solutions despite efforts to explain the implications of exiting the contributory pension scheme.
He appealed to the remaining protesters to exercise patience and allow the reconciliation process and government intervention to run their course.
According to him, the pension dispute can only be resolved through sustained cooperation between retired police officers, the inspector-general of police and the Presidency, rather than continued confrontation.
He expressed confidence that the ongoing agitation would subside once the proposed pension improvements begin to reflect in retirees’ monthly payments.
