The Lagos State House of Assembly has responded to public outcry on former governors and their deputies’ pension. On Thursday the house adopted a report on 50 per cent slashed pensions and subsequently approved new pensions for former governors and other political office holders.
The previous pension law had approved outrageous entitlements for the former political office holders which have elicited uproar from the public.
This development which shows Lagos has taken a cue from Zamfara state and others wich have reduce the entitlement of political office holders will sure calm frayed nerves.
In the report of its committee on establishment considered at plenary Thursday, the lawmakers also expunged from the state’s pension law, provision for houses in Abuja and Lagos for former governor.
Also, the lawmakers approved that the number of vehicles to be made available to former governors and their deputies be reduced to two.
Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, suggested that the amended bill should provide that the cars be changed every four years instead of the three years recommended by the report.
In view of the recent murder of the President of Haiti, Obasa said it was necessary to also secure the lives of the former office holders
“By virtue of my office, I have seen former Speakers who we just had to intervene in their lives because of the situations they found themselves outside office. We have also seen former governors in a very bad situation,” he said.
Obasa noted the argument of his colleagues that the projected downward review of the pension for the former governors and others could also be affected by inflation and other economic considerations, but reminded that the House must meet the wishes of the people one of which is a cut in the cost of governance.
“There is no argument, we must realise that this is democracy and it is all about the people. We are here because of the people. When we represent people, it is good for us to listen to them as well.
“We must realise that we would always go back to the people for support. So when we hearken to their agitations and reduce what existed, it shows that we listen,” Obasa stated.
Earlier, some of the lawmakers had supported the report of the committee saying it would have a positive impact on the internally generated revenue of the state.
