Ortom not disturbed Benue Assembly scrapped life pension — Aide
The Benue State House of Assembly, on Monday, repealed the legislation that made provision for the cost of life pension to former elected governors and their deputies.
The legislation, offering life advantages for ex-governors and deputy governors from 1999, was initiated by the immediate-past governor, Samuel Ortom, within the twilight of his administration final 12 months.
The invoice, which was hurriedly assented to by Ortom on the eve of his exit, offered for the cost of a stipend of N40m in 4 months along with the availability of two Special Utility Vehicles.
The legislation additionally offered for six stewards to a former governor whereas a former deputy governor was to be entitled to N25m as a stipend in 4 months, one SUV, and three stewards.
But the House of Assembly, on Monday, repealed the legislation, stating that the provisions have been too exorbitant to keep up.
Reacting to the event in an interview with The PUNCH, Ortom’s aide, Terver Akase, mentioned the ex-governor was unfazed or undisturbed.
“It was the state Assembly that passed the bill into a law and if the same Assembly repeals the law, there is nothing anyone can say,” Akase mentioned.
At the Monday plenary, the House, which went on Committee of Whole, debated and unanimously adopted the decision of the committee to scrap life pensions for ex-governors and their deputies.
Leading the talk on the invoice throughout Monday’s plenary, the House committee chairman, Douglas Akya, representing Makurdi South State Constituency, described the ex-governors’ pension as
‘exorbitant’.
He maintained that the state couldn’t not fund it from its lean assets.
He mentioned, “The law was not made in the best interest of the state, particularly at a time when workers were owed several months of salaries, pension and gratuity of retired workers are not paid.”
Other lawmakers who contributed to the talk described the legislation as anti-masses.
The improvement in Benue State comes about two months after the Abia State House of Assembly repealed the legislation permitting ex-governors and deputy governors to attract life pensions.
The Abia State of Nigeria Governors and Deputy Governors Pension Repeal Law of 2024 was assented to by Governor Alex Otti on March 31, 2024.
