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…ex-Governors’ pension restored
Following last Friday’s abrogation of the law that empowered former governors, their deputies, former Speakers and their deputies to receive pension and gratuity, reactions have continued to trail the legislative action.
Reacting to the development also, a constitutional democracy activist and Executive Director of Legislative Watch, Hon. Ngozika Ihuoma called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go after former Speakers and former Deputy Speakers of the Imo State House of Assembly and recover every pension paid to them.
On the removal of pension for former Governors and their deputies, Ihuoma differed with the Imo State House of Assembly.
He argued that the right to enact a pension law for former Governors and former Deputy Governors was captured vividly in the 1999 constitution, as amended, and as such, should be reinstated.
As for the ex-Speakers and ex-Deputy Speakers, Ihuoma maintained that they were not captured or covered by any constitutional provision.
He said the lawmakers merely conspired against the state and included themselves, perhaps, as a condition for passing the pension law for former governors and their deputies.
Ihuoma said: “I can tell you as a matter of law, that the ex-Speakers and the ex-Deputy Speakers are not covered by Section 124 (5) of the 1999 constitution, as amended, which listed ex-Governors, their deputies and other categories of workers as eligible for pension. Having collected 300% of their annual basic salary as severance package approved by RMAFC, it is fraudulent to include themselves in a constitutional incentive intended to encourage serving governors and their deputies to offer the people honourable and selfless service. That the Imo State House of Assembly had to enact the law in accordance with guidelines from the RMAFC does not permit them to include the former Speakers and their deputies in the law.”
Ihuoma stressed that the governors and deputy governors are the symbol and image of a state and cannot be seen to be wallowing in poverty after serving out their tenures meritoriously.
He continued, “Beyond that the constitutional provision explicit in Section 124(5) that, ‘Provisions may be made by a law of a House of Assembly for the grant of pension or gratuity to or in respect of a person who has held office as Governor of Deputy Governor and was not removed from office as a result of impeachment; and any pension granted by virtue of any provision made in pursuance of this subsection shall be a charge upon the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state.’
“Consequent upon that, it is my informed opinion that Governor Hope Uzodinma and the Imo state House of Assembly will do well to quickly restore the pensions provision for former governors and their deputies.”
