Abia Assembly Takes Bold Step to Reduce Governance Cost by Revoking Ex-Governors’ Pension

The Abia State House of Assembly has passed a bill to abolish the pension law for former governors and their deputies.

This bold step is aimed at channeling the state’s resources towards the development of the state.

Sponsored by Okoro Uchenna Kalu, the lawmaker representing the Arochukwu state constituency, the bill is designed to ensure that the state’s resources are directed towards the development of the state rather than being spent on the extravagant pensions of former governors and their deputies.

Under the now-abolished “Abia State Governors & Deputy Governors Pensions Law No 4 of 2001,” former governors and deputies were entitled to 100 percent of the annual basic salaries of the incumbent governor and deputy, as well as other benefits such as cooks, stewards, drivers, gardeners, three police officers, and two operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Additionally, they were entitled to two vehicles worth N20 million each every four years.

The passage of the bill at the plenary on Tuesday has far-reaching implications, as all former governors of the state and their deputies, including Orji Kalu, Theodore Orji, and Okezie Ikpeazu, will no longer receive their pension entitlements.

The bill is now awaiting the assent of Abia Governor, Alex Otti, to become law.

This move by the Abia Assembly is a commendable step towards reducing the cost of governance in the state and prioritizing the welfare and development of the people of Abia.

By eliminating the extravagant pensions of former governors and their deputies, the state can now focus on investing in critical sectors such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, and job creation.

The Abia Assembly’s decision to abolish the pension law for ex-governors and their deputies serves as a reminder that the welfare of the people should always come first.

It is a step in the right direction towards ensuring that the state’s resources are used for the benefit of the people and not for the personal gains of a select few.