Police Commission backs IG’s stance on retirement of officers over 60 years

The Police Service Commission (PSC), has thrown its weight behind a directive by the Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, asking policemen who are aged 60 plus and those who have spent 35 years in the force to tender their letters of voluntary retirement.

Egbetokun had, in a memo, urged the affected officers to voluntarily retire from the service in compliance with the federal government’s retirement age.

“Cooperation with other govt bodies in compliance with the directive of the honourable chairman, Police Service Commission, the IGP directs you 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,” the memo read.

Read also: Egbetokun: PSC compels four DIGs 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 60 years 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.”

In backing the IGP, the PSC spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani, in an interview with journalists on Tuesday, said affected police officers should obey the directive and proceed on retirement, noting that failure of the affected officers to proceed on retirement is a breach of Public Service Rule.

“The retirement age for public service is 60 years or 35 years of service, so it’s not something new, when you’re 60, you retire,” Ani said.

“What the IG is advising is that they should put in their retirement letters, and they should know the consequences if they don’t. You can’t work beyond 60 years in the Nigerian public service, it’s against the public service rule, and they don’t need to be told,” he added.

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