Esther Marcos, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), has shared a heart-wrenching tale of her frustrating encounter with Nigeria’s contributory pension scheme, which she described as “dirty” and deeply flawed. After serving the Nigeria Police Force for 35 years, Marcos received a measly N1.7 million gratuity and faced significant delays in accessing her pension payments, casting a spotlight on a systemic issue that has plagued the police force for over a decade.
Marcos, who retired on November 1, 2018, was left in limbo for more than a year after her retirement before receiving any payout. Despite her decades of service, her retirement package was delayed, leaving her without financial security in her golden years. “After waiting for more than a year, they finally gave me N1.7 million as my gratuity,” Marcos recounted. “But this was after 35 years of service. I’m not even talking about the months that passed before I started receiving my pension.”
The N1.7 million gratuity, which Marcos received after enduring months of uncertainty, hardly seems proportional to her long service. “And after that, they started paying me N40,000 monthly as my pension after waiting for yet another three months,” she lamented.
Her experience is not an isolated one. Over the years, the issue of delayed or non-payment of pensions under the contributory pension scheme has been a persistent problem within the Nigeria Police Force. This crisis has sparked outrage among many retired police officers who have publicly criticized the government and the pension administrators for their failure to fulfill promises made to those who served the country.
Marcos, who joined the police force at a young age, recalled how she stumbled into the profession almost by accident. “I didn’t originally plan to join the police force. I was escorting a friend who wanted to join, and due to my height, they selected me instead. I was barely 16 years old,” she explained. Despite her initial reluctance, Marcos dedicated herself to her career, eventually rising to the rank of DSP before retiring.
However, her service to the nation did not shield her from the difficulties faced by many retirees. The Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), which was supposed to provide a safety net for retired officers, has instead been a source of anguish. Marcos and other retirees have long criticized the scheme, calling it a “dirty” and inadequate system.
“This is the reality for every retired police officer,” Marcos declared, her voice tinged with frustration. “We’ve all been through the same thing. Whether you’re a policeman or a policewoman, this is what you face. The contributory pension scheme is a joke, and we are the ones paying the price.”
The delayed pension payments have created a sense of despair among many retirees. According to Marcos, the system’s failure is not a new issue, but one that has been affecting police officers for over ten years. “This has been going on for more than a decade. After I retired, I attended a meeting where they claimed to address retirees’ concerns. But nothing changed. The situation is the same,” she said, shaking her head.
She went on to explain that even when meetings were held, the outcomes were far from promising. “The meetings were a farce. They told us that the Police Retirees’ Meeting began around 2017, but we’ve heard nothing concrete. We’ve been protesting and raising our voices, but the system continues to fail us,” she said.
Retired police officers are not the only ones affected by the delays in pension payments. Thousands of public servants across Nigeria have expressed their frustration with the country’s pension system, particularly the Contributory Pension Scheme. Initially designed to create a stable pension system for retirees, the CPS has been widely criticized for its ineffectiveness and inefficiency, leaving retirees struggling to survive after their years of service.
According to pension experts, the fundamental flaw of the system lies in the lack of proper administration and transparency. Retirees like Marcos are often left to navigate a maze of bureaucratic hurdles, which leads to the long delays and discrepancies in payments. “The whole system is broken,” said Chuka Eze, a pension analyst. “There is little accountability, and the funds meant for retirees are either mismanaged or siphoned off.”
The Nigerian government has made efforts in the past to address the issue. However, these attempts have failed to provide a lasting solution. The problem persists, and the question remains: will the authorities take decisive action to reform the pension system and provide justice for the brave men and women who have served the country?
For now, Marcos and other retired officers like her are left to fend for themselves, surviving on meager pensions that fall far short of what they deserve. As the voice of one among many, Marcos has vowed to continue speaking out for herself and her fellow retirees. “This issue needs to be addressed once and for all. We cannot remain silent while the system continues to fail us.”
