Imo State Gov signs Bill to stop payment of pensions, gratuity of Ex-Governors, Speakers, Others

The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma has assented to a Bill repealing the law that created pension allowances and gratuities to former Governors, Deputy Governors, Speakers and Deputy Speakers.

He regretted a situation where some of the beneficiaries of such payments equally get huge amount of money as salaries and allowances in other positions they occupied such as seating Senators or Members of the House of Representatives.

Speaking after accenting to the Bill at Sam Mbakwe the Exco Chambers, Government House, Owerri on Friday, the Governor noted that the law has become necessary because the it runs contrary to the 1999 constitution as amended, which stipulates that a pensioner must have worked for at least 10years and must be up to 45 years of age.

Governor Uzodimma noted: “Apart from the inconsistency of such a law to the provisions of the grundnorm, which is the Constitution of 1999 (as amended), this has led for a very long time a precedence that does not encourage diligence and prudence in service delivery.’’

While thanking the Imo State House of Assembly for rising to the occasion and embracing totally the desire of government to strengthen the internally generated revenue base of the State, Governor Uzodimma assured of his commitment and desire to grow an economy that will stand the test of time.

Addressing newsmen at the end of the exercise, the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins informed that they presented two Bills for the Governor’s accent: the Bill on Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and Bill on the repeal of Pensions and Gratuity.

Collins said that the Bill on Pensions and Gratuity has long been repealed in many States of the Federation when it was discovered to run contrary to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

The Bill on Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, the Speaker explained, is to ensure that the University is moved to where it belongs: the Imo State College of Agriculture Umuagwo where the National Universities Commission (NUC) visited for accreditation and not Aboh Mbaise as people are clamouring.

Present at the signing of the Bill to repeal the Law on Pensions, Allowancesand Gratuities include the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prof. Placid Njoku; the Deputy Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Amara Iwuanyanwu; the Majority Leader, Uche Ogbuagu and other members of Imo State House of Assembly, as well as some members of the State expanded Executive Council.

Iheanyi Nwachukwu

Iheanyi Nwachukwu, is a creative content writer with almost two decades journalism experience writing on banking, finance, capital markets, and tax. The multiple awards winning journalist is Assistant Editor, BusinessDay. Iheanyi holds BSc Degree in Economics from Imo State University; Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Management from University of Lagos. Iheanyi has attended several work-related trainings including (i) Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills (Pan African University, Lagos); (ii) News Agency Journalism (Indian Institute of Mass Communication {IIMC}, New Delhi, India); and (iii) Capital Markets Development and Regulations (International Law Institute {ILI} of Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA). Other trainings Iheanyi attended include: Economic/Political Risk Analysis (By Thomson Reuters Foundation); International Financial Journalism (IFJ) (By PMA Media Training, UK); Effective Business Writing Skills (By Phillips Consulting); Reporting on Corporate Governance (By International Finance Corporation (IFC) & Thomson Reuters Foundation UK); etc. In addition, he has participated in high-level economy & markets events in Dubai, South Africa, Morocco, and other African countries like Zambia, Ghana and Gambia.