The new law stipulates N100 million for medicare a year for former governors and their spouse, deputy and spouse 30 million a year, 12 and 6 million naira for widows of governors and deputies respectively. Accommodation, transport, furniture, Entertainment, Cars, and even their Domestic aids are provided for. Is this not wickedness? The generality of people could not explain the rationale behind such blatant daylight robbery. But the truth of the matter is, in casting aspersion on Akpabio and the new Pension law, Nigerians need to be reminded or better still informed on similar Pension Benefits in states such as Lagos, Kwara, Rivers and Kano.
Even in the supposed most civilized state like Lagos, the law that was passed in 2007 stipulates that the former governor is entitled to six new cars every three years, a house in Lagos and another in the FCT. The ex governor is entitled to a cook, steward, gardener and other domestic staff that are pensionable. This is in Lagos not Lome or one remote town. This is a state where our acclaimed Fashola is governor.
How and why did Lagosians allow this obnoxious law to stay? In Rivers state, the scenario is playing out with Pension law passed in 2012 by Rotimi Amaechi. A former governor is entitled to a house anywhere in the country, three new cars every four years, free medical care for families of the governor and deputy, and domestic aids are not left out in these largess. Same goes for Kwara where the Pension laws of 2011 provides for 5-bedroom duplex for the governor, 4-bedroom for deputies, annual basic salary for deputies and governors, domestic staff are also not excluded from this packages.
The Pension Rights of Governors and Deputies Law 2007 in Kano which came on board during Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau's tenure stipulates, 100% of annual basic salaries of the Incumbent Governor and Deputy, two cars every four years for governors and one for their deputies and the provision of free treatment for them and their families.
If anyone described these staggering benefits accrued to ex-governors and their deputies as the eighth wonder of the world, such a fellow would not be far from the truth. In truth, this recklessness with state funds could only happen in Nigeria. Imagine Lagos state falling guilty to this rip-off. Didn't they say eko oni baje? With this madness called Pension Law, is Lagos not getting spoilt already? What is it with Politicians and money? I thought Bola Tinubu was a Progressive? At least this was not the way Baba Awolowo governed the Western Region. In a country where the minimum wage is a meager eighteen thousand naira, massive unemployment rate and the high level of infant-maternal mortality rate, the privileged few amongst us are still soiling their hands in public funds.
In his theory of Utilitarianism, Jeremy Bethan opined that "governance should be about the greatest good to the greatest number of people" So why the benefit of the few being propagated by our governors? Is the Security vote not enough? Should a Governor get pension in the first place? I thought only public servant are pensionable. The 1999 Constitution clearly states in section 280 and 318 on who a public servant is and those entitled to pension. The Governors and their Deputies are conspicuously missing from those to benefit.
The Constitution also defined the governors as political office holders and not public servants. You are entitled to pension after haven served for 15 years and Gratuity whenever an individual is leaving the service. So, should a governor like Andy Uba who served for 17 days be entitled to pension? Little wonder, Nigeria always remain a laughing stock in the international community.
Did I hear somebody shout, there is God oh?
- by Clement Ogbemudia
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