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BREAKING: Benue Assembly Scraps Life Pension For Ortom, Akume, Others

Published

6 months ago

May 27, 2024.

Eko Hot Blog reports that the Benue State House of Assembly has repealed a controversial law that provided lifetime maintenance for former elected governors and their deputies.

The repeal occurred during a plenary session on Monday, overturning legislation enacted by the 9th Assembly in May 2023, just days before their tenure ended.

The law, which had extended substantial benefits to former state leaders dating back to 1999, was met with widespread criticism from the public and was perceived as self-serving.

Benue Assembly Gate

The 10th Assembly, reflecting on the sentiments of their constituents, described the original pension bill as “anti-people” and acted swiftly to address these concerns.

During the session, members of the Assembly voiced unanimous support for the repeal, emphasizing the need to align legislative actions with the public interest and ethical governance.

Speaker Aondona Dajoh presided over the proceedings and formally announced the repeal of 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.”

Benue State House Of Assembly

The repealed bill had previously stipulated that former governors and their deputies would receive a monthly stipend equivalent to the current salaries of the serving governor, funded by the state’s consolidated revenue.

The Speaker said, “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 N25,000,000.00 (Twentyfive Million Naira) for the former Governor and the Deputy Governor N15,000,000.00 (Fifteen Million Naira) every four (4) years.

Affected by this new development are the former Governors of the state such as the current Secretary to the Government of the federation George Akume, immediate past Governor of the state Samuel Ortom, Senator Gabriel Suswam among others.

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