Retired senior officers from the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Fire Service and Nigerian Correctional Service visited Interior Minister Dr Olubunmi Tunji‑Ojo in Abuja on Wednesday to thank President Bola Tinubu for endorsing a lifetime salary scheme for former heads of the paramilitary agencies. The approval covers retired Controller, Commandant and Comptroller Generals as well as their deputies.
Chukwura Udeh, the former Comptroller‑General of the Immigration Service, said the meeting was meant to convey deep appreciation, noting that the salary issue had persisted through earlier administrations. He urged the minister to "kindly extend our appreciation to Mr President because this issue that was approved like it is nothing, made us see hell. We were abandoned half way by other ministers but we will always remember that you have helped humanity."
Minister Tunji‑Ojo responded that the president prioritises the welfare of uniformed personnel and stressed that no officer should retire into poverty. She added that promotion arrears have been cleared and recent examinations allow officers to attain ranks at the appropriate time, describing the reforms as "the least of what you deserve because you have sacrificed the better part of your years."
Among the retired officials present were former NSCDC Commandant General Abdullahi Gana and ex‑FFS Controller General Abdulganiyu Jaji. (NAN)
President Tinubu's decision to grant lifetime salaries to former heads of Nigeria's paramilitary forces signals a decisive response to a grievance that has lingered across successive governments.
The move arrives after retired officers complained of being "abandoned half way by other ministers," and follows the interior ministry's recent clearance of promotion arrears and the conduct of promotion examinations, indicating a broader effort to improve morale within the services.
For the senior retirees, the approval secures a steady income that shields them from poverty, while the public sector may see a precedent set for other high‑ranking pension reforms, potentially reshaping expectations of post‑service benefits for career civil servants.
If sustained, this policy could become part of a larger trend of the Tinubu administration foregrounding the welfare of security personnel, a strategy that may bolster support among uniformed cadres ahead of future electoral cycles.
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