AKWA IBOM STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY COMPLEX, UDO UDOMA AVENUE, P.M.B. 1141, UYO AKWA IBOM STATE. TEL: 085200040 AMENDMENT OF GOVERNORS AND DEPUTY GOVERNORS PENSION LAW : SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT The attention of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has been drawn to several misrepresentations, speculations, untruths and misleading information about the amendment of Akwa Ibom State Pension Law (2006) for Former Governors and Deputy Governors. The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly deems it necessary to correct this misrepresentations and untruths by explaining the motive and intent of the law, which was a patriotic duty exercised by the House in observance of its sworn duty to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, respect public trust and protect public income. The House therefore wishes to make the following clarifications, that: The Governors and Deputy Governors Pension Law is not a new law, as it was first enacted in the year 2000 during the administration of His Excellency Arch (Obong) Victor Attah and later amended in 2006 under the same administration. The present House of Assembly noticed a lacuna in the old law, which was open-ended on several provisions particularly medical expenses for former Governors and Deputy Governors and sought to put a ceiling thereto. Experience showed that former Governors and Deputy Governors could expend several hundreds of millions of Naira on medical bills without infringing on the provisions of the old law. The new Law has placed an expenditure limit of a N100 million for the medical treatment for former Governors and N50 million for former Deputy Governors. These money can only be paid directly to the health institutions involved in the medicare of the respective persons and are not to be accessed by, or paid to former Governors or former Deputy Governors directly ; in fact if a Governor or a Deputy Governor is not ill, this law cannot be activated and the money cannot be spent. The House, in its wisdom, decided in the law to provide an amount not exceeding N1,000,000 as monthly medical allowance for surviving spouses of former Governors. This was the only innovation in the new bill as it were. The Law further provides that a former Governor should be entitled to at least one unit of a 5-bedroom house in Uyo or Abuja and 300% annual basic salary as rent for a former Deputy Governor in addition to salaries and allowances for their personal aides. The Law further states that former Governors can get 300 per cent of the basic salary of incumbent Governor for yearly maintenance and fuelling allowance as stipulated by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission. The House notes with dismay the attempt by some mischievous persons to reap political capital out of this good-intentioned and patriotic law and makes it clear that the House acted in good faith and clear conscience to protect public income and curb wastage. It is important to state here that similar laws exist in various states of the Federation and have not received the unwholesome attention it has been subjected to as in the case of Akwa Ibom State. In conclusion the House frowns at the politicization of this law and condemns in totality attempts to associate it with financial recklessness. The House has earned a reputation as prudent and accountable legislative body, which is always acting in the best interest of Akwa Ibom State and its people. This could be seen in the House consistently approving budgetary provisions of 80 per cent capital expenditure and 20 per cent recurrent expenditure in the last six years. This has resulted in the Uncommon Transformation of Akwa Ibom State by the present administration of Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio. Finally we want to thank all former Governors and Deputy Governors for not taking undue advantage of the open-ended nature of the previous law and for staying on the path of honour. The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly makes this clarification for the records and in absolute good faith, hoping it puts to rest the controversy surrounding this patriotic effort of the House in furtherance of public good. Rt Hon. (Elder) Sam Ikon, Speaker Dated this 29th Day of May, 2014
Posted on: Mon, 02 Jun 2014 13:24:05 +0000