The Center for Human and Socio-economic Rights ((CHSR) has called on the Lagos state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Speaker of the state house of assembly, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa together with the House of Assembly to introduce a bill in the state House of Assembly to repeal pension laws, Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension) Law of Lagos State 2007.
The centre at a press briefing in Lagos recently described the Lagos pension laws and the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension) Law of Lagos State 2007 as bogus, immoral, illegal and unconstitutional and as result, it must be urgently repealed.
The centre is also calling for repeal of other similar legislation that gives bogus, undue benefit and allowance, principally aimed at satisfying the whims, caprices and greed of the ruling class; saying such benefits have often times been exploitative and parasitic.
Rather than giving bogus pension to the ex governors and their deputies, the right centre is demanding for urgent institution of comprehensive and reliable Social welfare program for the teaming resident of the state, whom they said are mostly poor.
While addressing newsmen at the conference, the president of the centre, Comrade Alex Omotehinse reiterated that more than 72% of the annual budget finds its way to privileged few through bogus allowance, various bogus contracts, elephant projects and direct stealing, stressing that such huge resources can be used for human capital development in the State.
Omotehinse contends that the state has no right to legislate on pension; hence the state pension law is illegal.
He said “according to the Lagos state pension Law approved by the former governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2007, a former governor will enjoy the following benefits for life: Two houses; one in Lagos and another one in Abuja estimated by property experts to cost the sum of #500,000.00 Five Hundred Million and #700,000.00 Seven Hundred Million Naira for Lagos and Abuja respectively.
“Others benefits are six (6) brand new cars replaceable every three (3) years; Furniture allowance of 300% of annual salary to be paid every two (2) years and #2.500.000.00 (Two Million five Hundred Thousand Naira) as monthly Pension which is about #30,000.000.00 (Thirty Million Naira pension annually.
“Meanwhile the former governor will also enjoy security details, free medicals including for his immediate families and 10% house maintenance, 30% Entertainment, 20% utilities and several domestic staff in a state where the same government has refused to provide Public water for her citizens by giving the laughable excuse for privatizing water, that the state don’t have the required resources to provide water for Lagosian. What an irony. What a Shame”, Omotehinse lamented.
Omotehinse explained that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended did not only guarantee right to pension and gratuities of citizen in the public service of a state or Federation but goes on in the exclusive legislative list in item 44 to state clearly that pension and gratuities fall within the legislative competence of the National Assembly the provision of the Constitution is clear and unambiguous.
He stated that going by the above provision, no any state house of Assembly is competent to make pension and gratuity law for any public servant in Nigeria, stressing that State pension Laws are null and void.
“The true position of the law on pension and gratuities in Nigeria is that while Pension Act of 1979 which was replaced by the Pension Reform Act of 2004 is for civil servants, public officers or public office holders ought to be given their own Pension Act in accordance with the provision of the Constitution, therefore, the practice whereby each state house of Assembly is enacting Pension law for their ex-governors is illegal and unconstitutional”, the Centre president said.
Omotehinse also averred that ex-governors and their deputies are not supposed to be entitled to pension and gratuities and if at all they must get, the constitutional provision must be adhered to, adding that the governors and the their deputies can however be considered for contributory pension scheme like every other civil servant and workers, stressing that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.
“If the civil servants who served for 35 good years can only enjoy contributory pension scheme, then the public office holder should be allowed to enjoy same if at all we consider for pension, because service of a state for two terms of four years each is not up to 10 years that qualify a civil servant to enjoy pension under the Pension Act of 1979.
He therefore advocated that multiple remunerations from the public treasury by political office holders should be proscribed. “It is an anti-people policy and it promotes corruption and makes public offices more attractive to politicians”, Omotehinse said..
