A few days ago, the news broke that the Abia eighth House of Assembly has passed a bill known as ‘A Law to Repeal Governors’ and Deputy Governors’ Pension Law 2001′ into law. While reactions had trailed the news along the lines of partisan politics, Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, a pro-democracy and environmental rights-focused civil society in Abia State has commended the Abia State House of Assembly for such a timeous move. The Foundation also lauded Governor Alex Chioma Otti for speedily giving assent to the bill since yesterday, Thursday, March 21, 2024.
As a group advocating fiscal prudence and discipline on the part of governments, FENRAD believes that it is a travesty of justice and unsustainable for the state to keep paying former governors and deputy governors pension while actual pensioners are owed over ten years outstanding arrears in some cases. The worst is that the pension crisis began under the watch of some of these former governors and deputies.
In 2019, for example, Social Economic Rights Accountability Project, SERAP, a leading civil society group took the issue of life pension and double pay for some governors to court. A Lagos State High Court ordered the federal government to recover the sum of ₦40bn from past governors sitting as serving senators while collecting pension from their state purses. Unfortunately, the former attorney general of the federation did not follow up. Since that time, 24 out of the 36 states in the federation kept operating the life pension law for former governors and deputies, until Governor Otti signed the bill into law. FENRAD condemns this because some of these governors today could not implement the ₦30,000 minimum wage, even as some allegedly borrowed from the state pension funds.
FENRAD recalls how, protesting against nonpayment of gratuity for 20 years in 2022, old and retired citizens took to the streets in Abia calling for an end to such unscrupulous practice. During that time, two former Abia governors who were at the saddle for much of the twenty years (2002-2022) when the gratuity crisis started were sitting in the ninth senate receiving state pension in addition to other plum benefits that accrued to them as federal lawmakers.
Today, Abia State House of Assembly has timeously and ideally intervened to end this injustice (where state workers – active and retired – are owed arrears while political has-beens keep enjoying pension at the expense of the state) with the governor granting his assent. Another interesting thing about this development, FENRAD says, is the fact that now that the bill had been assented by the governor, it will help reduce recurrent expenditure, and by extension cost of governance as it reflects in the wage bill annually. Likely, the next appropriation will have some fiscal balance in terms of recurrent and capital expenditures. And more money would be used for infrastructure and payment of some personnel – personnel cost.
While not proposing financial exclusion when it comes to past governors and deputies, FENRAD holds that the fact that many institutions of the state were grossly underfunded or financially excluded in the intervening years before this enactment says a whole lot regarding misplacement of priorities.
Lastly, the Foundation commends Governor Alex Chioma Otti for his assent to the bill and calls for financial discipline and disclose as part of campaign promises to Abians .
Signed!
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Executive Director
Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD Nigeria
Tel;/WhatsApp 08033383708,07062949232,
Email; fenradnigeria@yahoo.com
Info.fenradnigeria@gmail.com
Info@fenrad.org.ng.
Website; www.fenrad.org.ng
Follow us at Twitter,Facebook, Instagram and linkedlin @FENRADNIGERIA.
Foundation For Environmental Rights,Advocacy & Development(FENRAD)
Plot 44 St.Micheal Road,By mosque Street, 4th Floor,Front ,Aba,Abia State.
SOUTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE;
Plot 11/13 Ezillo Avenue,Independence Layout,Enugu,Enugu State;
National Advocacy Office:
Plot 9 Lumsar street,Abacha Estate Behind sheraton Hotel Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. Nigeria
Tel;08033383708,07062949232,08056480504,,
Email;fenradnigeria@yahoo.com,info.fenradnigeria@gmail.com. www.fenrad.org.ng
Facebook@fenradnigeria Twitter@fenradnigeria Skype;@fenradnigeria.