The Association of Retired Police Officer of Nigeria (ARPON) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to sign into law a Bill seeking to exit Police officers from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
President of the association, Steven Aiyewumi, AIG (retd) in a statement in Abuja, said the appeal became necessary to enable retired police officers have the required benefits accrued to them and avoid any case of misappropriation in their retired benefits dues
The statement said: “We, the members of the Association of Retired Police Officer of Nigeria, ARPON, join our serving counterparts and Police Retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme ,CPS, to express our profound gratitude to the Distinguished and Honorable Members of the 9th National Assembly for listening and harking to the yearning of the force in passing and transmitting to Mr. President for his assent to the Bill For An Act to Exit the Nigeria Police Force From The Contributory Pension Scheme and we consequently lend our voices to that of all well – meaning Nigerians to passionately appeal to Mr. President to speedily give his assent to the Bill.”
According to the statement, the desired justice to the Force would have been served to retired police officers if the Bill was signed into law.
The association also made a case for the implementation of other policies and programmes that would also improve the welfare of retired police officers in line with the current realities in the country.
While calling for more measures towards combating insecurity in the country, the association said it would continue to support the Federal Government towards protecting lives and property of Nigerians.
Meanwhile, Aba residents have expressed concerns over the spate of mob justice and extra-judicial killings in the commercial hub of the state.
Respondents noted that some of the killings were between cult groups, while others were killed by residents after being caught in various nefarious activities.
There have been reported killing of several persons in Aba North, South and other suburbs within the past few months as people have resorted to self-help rather than subjecting the suspects to the criminal justice system.
Giving account of reported jungle justice in Aba South local government area of the state, a resident of Ngwa road by East, Chukwu Uwa, said no fewer than five persons have been extra-judicially killed in the last one month.
According to Uwa, apart from the policeman that was killed by unknown gunmen in the area and some parts of Ngwa road off Ohanku, most cases of death or extra-judicial killing in Aba South LGA were cult related.
Uwa and one Mrs. Patience, a resident of Owerre-Aba begged the government of Abia State to liaise with the heads of security agencies to fashion out how best to reduce or nip extra-judicial killings in Aba South in the bud.