Constitution Amendment: Anger As National Assembly Considers Life Pension For Presiding Officers

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Thursday, February 24th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A fresh move by the National Assembly to grant life pension for its presiding officers, including the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives as well as their deputies has sparked outrage among civil society groups and some senior advocates.

If the proposal is passed by the legislature, the current Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; and their deputies will benefit.

This is according to the National Assembly’s Joint Special Ad Hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution which laid its report containing 68 recommendations in the respective chambers on Wednesday.

While the Senate has scheduled voting on the amendment bills for Tuesday, members of the House of Representatives are to consider and adopt the recommendations on Wednesday and Thursday.

Recommendation 16 reads, “That the House does receive the report of the Special Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution on a Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide Pension for Presiding Officers of the National Assembly; and for Related Matters.”

Already Section 84(5) of the Nigerian constitution guarantees life pension for all former Presidents and Vice-Presidents, a cost which gulps an average of N7.8bn yearly.

The provision in the constitution reads, “Any person who has held office as President or Vice-President shall be entitled to pension for life at a rate equivalent to the annual salary of the incumbent President or Vice-President: Provided that such a person was not removed from office by the process of impeachment or for breach of any provisions of this constitution.”

In an interview, the Deputy Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Kola Dare; called on Nigerians to ask their various representatives at the National Assembly to kick against such provisions, adding that it was selfish of them to have considered such a provision in the first place.

The SERAP director stated, “The proposed amendment if that is true, cannot be said to be in the interest of Nigeria. SERAP is in court challenging the payment of life pensions to some governors and deputy governors in their states.

“That of the National Assembly is at best a waste of public resources. The money could be put to better use, the education sector is there, and our health sector is not getting the best of funding. That proposed amendment should not be allowed to stand. Nigerians should reach out to their representatives at the national assembly to vote against the amendment.”

Also, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, which is Nigeria’s chapter of Transparency International, described the provision as outrageous.

The Executive Director of CSLAC, Auwal Rafsanjani, said the proposal, if passed would further put a strain on the fragile economy of the country.

According to him, public office holders have enjoyed more than enough from the lean public purse. He added that positions of leadership are meant for service and not to amass wealth.

Rafsanjani said, “I think this is one of the most self centered provisions for people who have been benefiting from the public fund to now permanently continue to burden Nigerians. This is at the expense of the deteriorating economy, lack of commensurate wages to hardworking Nigerians and also at the expense of social services Nigerians should be enjoying.

“These people should fear God and be fair to Nigeria. Elective positions are meant to serve the people as seen in other climes but in Nigeria it is seen as an avenue to milk Nigerians dry. This is unfair.

“We are calling on the right thinking people should not allow that particular provision to see the light of the day. We have more pressing issues in the country that they are not giving priority to.”

Punch