Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, says the house has begun the amendment of a law that provides for lavish pension benefits to former governors and their deputies.

Obasa stated this while speaking to journalists at an event to mark the second anniversary of the state’s eighth Assembly.

“The Bill has been read first time and awaiting second reading,” the Speaker said.

“The intendment of this bill is to save tax payers money while addressing the cost implication of some parts of the law.

He said the private member bill is titled Public Office Holders (Payment of Pensions) Amendment Bill, 2016.

Obasa disclosed that the law is available in other states and was first put in place by the Tinubu administration.

Key beneficiaries of the law are the state’s most recent governors, Ahmed Tinubu, and Babatunde Fashola.

The move by the lawmakers came more than two years after the seventh Assembly, led by Adeyemi Ikuforiji, first introduced the bill which sought to amend the existing law by including the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, in the lavish post-retirement benefits with proposals for extravagant life pension, accommodation, security and medical cover for the two officials and their families.

Obasa said the inclusion of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker in the amended law is to avoid the undermining of the legislature as well as not giving the Executive arm undue advantage, which could cause unnecessary rancour while safeguarding separation of power.

Highlights of the existing Lagos State Public Office Holder Law include:

Annual basic salary: 100 percent of annual basic salaries of the incumbent governor and deputy.

Accommodation: One residential house in Lagos and another in FCT for the former governor; one residential house in Lagos for the deputy.

Transport: Three cars, two back-up cars and one pilot car for the ex-governor, to be replaced every three years; two cars, one back-up car and one pilot car for the deputy, also to be replaced every three years.

Furniture: 300 percent of annual basic salary every two years.

House maintenance: 10 percent of annual basic salary.

Domestic staff: Cook, steward, gardener and other domestic staff who shall be pensionable.

Medical: Free medical treatment for ex-governor and deputy and members of their families.

Security: Two SSS operatives, one female officer, eight policemen (four each for house and personal security) for the ex-governor; one SSS operative and two policemen (one each for house and personal security) for the deputy.

Personal Assistant: 25 percent of annual basic salary.

Car maintenance: 30 percent of annual basic salary.

Entertainment: 10 percent of annual basic salary.

Utility: 20 percent of annual basic salary.

Drivers: Pensionable.

•Sourced from TV 360 Nigeria.

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