The Benue State House of Assembly on Monday repealed the law providing lifetime maintenance for former elected governors and their deputies in the state.
Our correspondent reports that the 9th Assembly, in May 2023, just days before their term ended, passed the controversial pension bill to extend benefits to ex-governors and their deputies from 1999.
However, during the plenary on Monday, the current 10th Assembly repealed the bill passed by their predecessors, stating it was not enacted in good faith.
The lawmakers argued that the law was against the interests of the people, and they unanimously supported its repeal after several members contributed to the discussion.
Speaker of the House, Aondona Dajoh, ruled in favor of the unanimous resolution to repeal the “Bill for a law to repeal provision for the maintenance of former elected governors of the state and their deputies and for other matters connected thereto 2024.”
It is noteworthy that the former Speaker of the 9th Assembly, Engr. Titus Uba, led the plenary that originally passed the bill into law after it was presented by Hon. Geoffrey Agbatse, then chairman of the House Committee on Business and Rules.
The bill had outlined conditions including the payment of a monthly stipend as basic pensions for former governors and their deputies, equivalent to the current salaries of the serving governor, from the consolidated revenue of the state.
“A monthly stipend equivalent to the Basic salary of a serving/incumbent Governor in the State for life and which shall be a charge on the Consolidated Revenue Funds of the State
“The Deputy Governor shall enjoy a monthly stipend equivalent to the Basic salary of an incumbent Deputy Governor for life and shall be charge on the Consolidated Revenue Funds of the State.
“A maintenance allowance of ₦25,000,000.00 (Twenty five Million Naira) for the former Governor and the Deputy Governor ₦15,000,000.00 (Fifteen Million Naira) every four (4) years.”
The law also provided for the procurement of two official SUVs for the former governor and one official car for the former deputy governor. Additionally, the state government was mandated to provide a former governor with six personal staff, including one personal assistant, two drivers, two cleaners, and one cook.
A former deputy governor, according to the law, would have three personal staff, including one personal assistant, one driver, and one cleaner. The law also included provisions for security, yearly medical expenses, and replacement of vehicles every four years with new ones of the same quality and status.