By TINA TIMOTHY

The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) Nigeria has commended the Abia State governor, Alex Otti for speedily assenting to the bill known as ‘A Law to Repeal Governors’ and Deputy Governors’ Pension Law 2001’ passed by the Abia 8^thHouse of Assembly.

The group, In a statement on Friday, March 22, 2024, signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, also commended the Abia State House of Assembly for such a “timeous move” as well as the bill sponsor, majority leader and member representing Arochukwu State Constituency, Hon. Okoro Uche Kalu.

“A few days ago, the news broke that the Abia eighth House of Assembly has passed a bill known as ‘A Law to Repeal Governors’ and Deputy Governors’ Pension Law 2001’ into law.

“While reactions had trailed the news along the lines of partisan politics, Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, a pro-democracy and environmental rights-focused civil society in Abia State has commended the Abia State House of Assembly for such a timeous move.

“The Foundation also lauded Governor Alex Chioma Otti for speedily giving assent to the bill since yesterday, Thursday, March 21, 2024,” FENRAD stated.

Nwafor described as “a travesty of justice” the fact that while actual pensioners are owed for over a decade under the watch of some former governors and deputies, the state has kept paying past governors and their deputies, some of whom are sitting as serving senators while collecting pension from their state purses, an issue that a civil society group took to court on 2019, lamenting how, in 2022, non-payment of gratuity led the aged pensioners to the streets in protest, while two of their past governors were receiving state pension as well as plum benefits as federal lawmakers.

The statement continues: ”As a group advocating fiscal prudence and discipline on the part of governments, FENRAD believes that it is a travesty of justice and unsustainable for the state to keep paying former governors and deputy governors pension while actual pensioners are owed over ten years outstanding arrears in some cases. The worst is that the pension crisis began under the watch of some of these former governors and deputies.

“In 2019, for example, Social Economic Rights Accountability Project, SERAP, a leading civil society group took the issue of life pension and double pay for some governors to court. A Lagos State High Court ordered the federal government to recover the sum of ₦40bn from past governors sitting as serving senators while collecting pension from their state purses. Unfortunately, the former attorney general of the federation did not follow up. Since that time, 24 out of the 36 states in the federation kept operating the life pension law for former governors and deputies, until Governor Otti signed the bill into law. FENRAD condemns this because some of these governors today could not implement the ₦30,000 minimum wage, even as some allegedly borrowed from the state pension funds.

“FENRAD recalls how, protesting against nonpayment of gratuity for 20 years in 2022, old and retired citizens took to the streets in Abia calling for an end to such unscrupulous practice. During that time, two former Abia governors who were at the saddle for much of the twenty years (2002-2022) when the gratuity crisis started were sitting in the ninth senate receiving state pension in addition to other plum benefits that accrued to them as federal lawmakers.”

This development, according to FENRAD, will “reduce recurrent expenditure, and by extension cost of governance” and that “more money would be used for infrastructure and payment of some personnel – personnel cost,” adding that “many institutions of the state grossly underfunded or financially excluded in the intervening years before this enactment says a whole lot regarding misplacement of priorities.”

“Today, Abia State House of Assembly has timeously and ideally intervened to end this injustice (where state workers – active and retired – are owed arrears while political has-beens keep enjoying pension at the expense of the state) with the governor granting his assent. Another interesting thing about this development, FENRAD says, is the fact that now that the bill had been assented by the governor, it will help reduce recurrent expenditure, and by extension cost of governance as it reflects in the wage bill annually. Likely, the next appropriation will have some fiscal balance in terms of recurrent and capital expenditures. And more money would be used for infrastructure and payment of some personnel – personnel cost.

“While not proposing financial exclusion when it comes to past governors and deputies, FENRAD holds that the fact that many institutions of the state were grossly underfunded or financially excluded in the intervening years before this enactment says a whole lot regarding misplacement of priorities.

“Lastly, the Foundation commends Governor Alex Chioma Otti for his assent to the bill, also the bill sponsor Hon. Okoro Uche Kalu, majority leader and member representing Arochukwu State Constituency,” Nwafor said.