Group Issues 21-Day Ultimatum To Lawmakers To Kill Enugu Ex-Governors Pension Bill

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Monday, March 15th, 2021

…. Or Face Mass Action

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – As sharp Criticism continues to trail plans by the Enugu state House of Assembly to enact a law that would provide life pension for former governors of the state and their deputies, a socio political group, the Save Enugu Group (SEG) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the lawmakers to kill the bill or face the wrath of the citizens.

The group, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Chief Willy Ezugwu, made available to newsmen in Enugu said the bill which has passed first reading must be killed immediately by the state lawmakers for peace and tranquility in the state’s political arena to be sustained.

It said the body is already mobilising “conscious citizens, civil society groups and labour unions in the state to shut down Enugu State House of Assembly for as long as it will take to kill this most insensitive bill.”

According to the statement: “it will be a betrayal of the trust the people bestowed in their representatives serving as lawmakers for the state Assembly to think of passing such outdated bill.

“It is shocking that while a state, with high internally generated revenue that runs into billions monthly, like Lagos has abolished pensions for former governors, the Enugu State House of Assembly is planning to deplete the meager IGR generated in Enugu State on account of pensions for political office holders.

It’s more disheartening to discover that the proposed law is an executive bill.

“More worrisome is the provision in the bill for medical allowance not exceeding N12 million per annum for one surviving spouse of a former Governor, “provided that such spouse was married to the governor while in office”.

“What is more unfortunate in the bill is the provision seeking to mandate the state government to provide three vehicles for the ex-governor and replace them every four years.

It stated that “Also insulting is the provisions that when a former governor or former deputy governor dies, the state government should make adequate arrangement and bear the financial responsibility for his burial.

“ And that the state government should pay a condolence allowance of a sum equivalent to the annual basic salary of the incumbent to his next of kin.

“This is a country where people that served their states as civil servants for over 30 years are struggling to get their terminal benefits while a governor or his deputy who may have spent eight years or less will be buried at the state government’s expense and the next of kin paid after that.

“It is very unfortunate and we call on the Enugu State House of Assembly to kill the bill within the next 21 days or face the wrath of the citizens.

“In addition to other legal measures, we shall mobilise and guide all constituents in the state constituencies to immediately initiate the process of recalling their representatives at the state House of Assembly in the event that the lawmakers failed to kill the bill”, the group warned.

Our Correspondent reports that the proposed bill by the Speaker Ubosi led House of Assembly is already generating serious negative reactions in many quarters in the state