By Dr ‘Segun Awosanya (Segalink)
It’s a pity how chronic protesters chase clout by stirring up drama on serious national issues, turning simple problems into spectacles for personal gain. This mob-mentality tactic is outdated and hurts real nation-building. That’s why I distinguish genuine, thoughtful advocacy from the opportunism of political hustlers.
For clarity, Nigeria revamped pensions in 2004 (updated in 2014) with the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). It’s mandatory for most workers, employers and employees chip in to personal retirement accounts, creating a fund for reliable payouts.
But the military, DSS, and NIA are exempt, getting pensions straight from government budgets under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS). Police have pushed to join them since 2011, but lawmakers keep blocking it. If approved, police pensions would rely on annual budgets, like the military’s.
Experts (like PenCom and PenOp) warn this could strain Nigeria’s finances, shrink investment funds from CPS, and lead to more delays, especially with the government’s track record of late payments and a N2 trillion pension backlog.
Police frustration makes sense, inflation has shrunk their contributions’ value, causing payout delays due to government funding shortfalls. But switching to DBS might backfire, as the same cash-strapped govt could default on lump sums, and vested interests in CPS profits will lobby hard against it.
We highly recommend a tweak of the CPS for improvements, rather than risk worsening woes with the DBS. This is not an issue petty protest can solve and a distraction should be avoided on this issue if real traction is to be achieved.
Dr ‘Segun Awosanya (Segalink) is the President/Founder Social Intervention Advocacy Foundation (SIAF)
