The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma has accented to a Bill repealing the law that created pension allowances and gratuities to former Governors, Deputy Governors, Speakers and Deputy Speakers.
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.’’
"It is noteworthy that I am supposed to benefit from this law when I leave office as governor. Yet I called for its repeal. This should leave no one in doubt that I am acting in the best interest of our state and our people. I believe that those of us who have had the privilege of occupying exalted positions must be human enough to resist the temptation of feeding fat from the lean resources of the state at the expense of the people. We must know when to say enough is enough “
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.
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Collins said that the Bill on Pensions and Gratuity has long been repealed in many States of the Federation when it was discovered to run contrary to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).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, Allowances and 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.