Police retirees in A’Ibom protest underpayment of gratuities, pensions

Retired police officers of the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Akwa Ibom state have protested the underpayment of their pensions and gratuities by the authourities, describing it as an act of fraud.

In an interaction with newsmen in Uyo on Tuesday, the former police officers, numbering over 200, disclosed that as ASPs, they are entitled to nothing less than N10 million with corresponding monthly pension payments after 35 years in service.

Spokesman of the group, Philip Akpan, ASP (rtd.) however, said they are being tricked to accept a paltry N1.2 million against the terms they signed before their enlistment into the police.

Akpan further accused the police authorities, especially officials of police pension fund of fowl-play and lack of transparency, revealing that they were issued with multi fund structure consent form instead of consent form.

He said the multi fund structure form does not state how much a retired police officer was entitled against the normal practice of issuing out consent form which stipulates categories of payment structure.

His words, “The problem we have now is that we got a text message that we should come to the police headquarters Ikot Akpan Abia in Uyo to sign a consent form. On arrival they issued us with multi form structure consent form.

“When we checked through we did not see a stipulated amount to be paid. All that we know is that in consent form we are used to the amount to be paid is usually stipulated.

“For now, the multi form structure has not stated the categories of payment rather they said that they have already signed the form for us in Abuja. I am not a novice; I cannot take that and it is unacceptable”.

In the same vein, Effiong Umoren, ASP (rtd) disclosed that the police authorities have also seized the money they contributed to the contributory pension scheme for which 2.5 percent of their salary was deducted since 2014.

His words, “In 2014 they said it should be contributory pension and we started contributions with different pension fund administrators. I belong to Trustfund and before retirement I had contributed N2.6 million to the fund.

And the police took over. Now the police is coming to pay less than what I contributed which I don’t accept it. If they don’t want to add anything to my contribution let them give me the N2.6 million that I contributed and I will go with it.

“We belonged to different pension funds administrators before the police authorities decided to transfer us to police pension fund. As ASP upwards, we should not take less than N10 million, giving me N1.2 million is unacceptable and we will not take it.

“Our demand right now is that if they want transparency the consent form abandoned in April should be reintroduced. They stopped giving consent form to the police.

They only give you the amount not the consent form and they should reverse it to how it was when they took over from over former pension administrators “.

“We want the IGP and whoever is in charge of pension administration to reverse it to the former regime and give us the consent form to sign before our money is given to us”, he said.

Quote:
“As ASP upwards, we should not take less than N10 million, giving me N1.2 million is unacceptable and we will not take it”. – Police retirees