Anxiety In Nigeria Police Over Move To Enforce Mandatory Retirement Rule Against Officers

There is anxiety in the police over plan to enforce the rule on mandatory retirement by officers.

Those affected are officers above 60 years and those who have spent 35 years in the service.

They are expected to send their letters of retirement to the appropriate police commands, according to a circular by Inspector General Kayode Egbetokun.

However, the affected over-aged officers are trying to resist the move to enforce the order.

The Police Service Commission (PSC), which has frowned at the officers’ resistance to retirement, said it is contrary to service rules.

There was apprehension among the officers, following the issuance of the internal memo by the Inspector-General that the over-aged officers should  proceed on retirement.

Egbetokun said the names of the affected officers will   be published soon.

In the memo circulating online, Egbetokun ordered police formations and commands to extract letters of retirement from officers who are due for retirement, but are reluctant to leave.

The memo reads: “Cooperating with other government bodies in compliance with the directive of the honourable chairman, Police Service Commission, the IGP directs and draw the attention of all members of the force to the emerging and disturbing trend in the Nigeria Police Force wherein officers upon attainment of 35 years in service or 60 years of age refuse to proceed on retirement.

“This is contrary to the provisions of the public service rule (PSR) 020810 i & ii which provides that the mandatory retirement age for all grades in the service shall be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service no officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement of age of 60 or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier all actions taken by the said officers for the Nigeria police are null and void as a result of expiration of service duration accordingly you are to immediately extract a letter of voluntary retirement from such officers.

“The police authorities need to publish all officers that have violated their service retirement age.”

The Head, Press and Public Relations of PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, who confirmed the circular, said the memo is authentic.

He added: “Those that are due for retirement, the IGP has said they should write and leave the service.”

– The Nation (except inputs in the headline)