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Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma has revoked the law that allow for payment of pensions to former governors, deputy governors, speakers and deputy speakers of the state.
Uzodinma gave assent to the bill to stop the payment of pensions to the public officials on Friday, on the grounds that it contradicts the provisions of the 1999 constitution which stipulates that a pensioner must have worked for at least 10 years and must be up to 45 years of age.
He said: “Apart from the inconsistency of such a law to the provisions of the ground norm, 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.”
The Imo governor also lamented the fact that some of the beneficiaries of such payments also get huge amounts of money as salaries and allowances in other positions they occupied such as serving senators or members of the house of representatives.
He therefore express gratitude to the state house of assembly for “rising to the occasion” and embracing the desire of the government to strengthen the internally generated revenue (IGR) base of the state.
On his part, the speaker of the state house of assembly, Chiji Collins said the bill on pensions and gratuity has long been repealed in many states of the federation when it was discovered to run contrary to the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
With this, Imo State now joins the likes of Zamfara to have assented to the law prohibiting former government officials from receiving huge pensions.
Bello Matawalle, governor of Zamfara, had last year repealed the law authorising pension for ex-governors, deputy governors, speakers and deputy speakers.
Governor Matawalle has said the allowances will be used to build the teeming unemployed youths in the state.
