Amid growing tensions over pension reforms, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has issued a strong appeal to retired police officers, urging them to call off their planned nationwide protest scheduled for Monday, July 21.
In a statement released on Sunday, PSC spokesperson Ikechukwu Ani described the retirees’ planned action as “diversionary, ill-timed, and in bad taste.” He called for calm and emphasized the need to embrace dialogue rather than confrontation.
“The Commission has noted the ill-advised plan by retired police officers across the nation to embark on a protest over issues that are already receiving the attention of relevant government agencies,” Ani said.
The retired officers—who served under the controversial Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS)—say they have reached a breaking point after years of unaddressed grievances. They are demanding to be exempted from the scheme, which they describe as discriminatory and financially devastating. The movement has gained support from civil rights activists, including Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).
Daily Trust earlier reported that contingents of the retirees were already mobilizing from across the country, vowing to storm Abuja in protest.
But the PSC maintained that the Commission’s Chairman, Hashim Argungu, himself a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, had consistently advocated for pension reforms and had engaged relevant authorities on the issue.
“The Chairman has at several forums condemned the poor and discriminatory pension structure affecting retired police officers,” Ani noted. “He has been a consistent voice pushing for a unified and fair police pension scheme.”
Urging restraint, the PSC emphasized that the country cannot afford further instability, especially at this delicate moment in its democratic journey.
“It is our strong belief that the drivers of this planned protest should reconsider their actions and return to the negotiation table in the interest of peace,” Ani concluded.
While the PSC’s appeal may delay tensions, it remains to be seen whether the retirees—some of whom say they have endured years of neglect—will back down or push ahead with their Monday march on the National Assembly.