Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The Enugu house of assembly has stepped down the life pension bill granting more benefits to former governors of the state.
The bill was stepped down after a public outcry that followed TheCable’s exposé on how it would cost the state billions of naira.
TheCable had reported how the executive bill provides more entitlements for former governors, their deputies and wives, other than what a life pension law in place offers.
Its provisions cover almost any possible major expenses an ex-governor can incur in his/her life, including 900 percent of a governor’s annual salary as allowances and N12 million for the wife yearly.
Protesters stormed the assembly complex on Tuesday morning, asking the lawmakers to withdraw the proposed law.
They cited the state’s 58 percent poverty rate and poor internally generated review as some of the reasons the bill should be dropped.
At the plenary session, Edward Ubosi, speaker of the house, said the lawmakers will “thoroughly go through it (the bill) to enable them to delete and add necessary sections to it.”
Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, the majority leader, said the assembly would be guided by the views of their constituents when reconsidering the bill.
Ezeugwu said the house of assembly will hold a public hearing on the bill to ensure all opinions are considered.
He also denied claims that the legislative arm is “a rubber stamp’’ of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the state governor.
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