Benue Assembly scraps life pensions for ex-governors, deputies

The Benue State House of Assembly has repealed the law for the lifetime maintenance of former elected governors and their deputies in the state.

Our correspondent reports that the 9th Assembly in May 2023, a few days to their exit, passed the controversial pension bill to extend benefits to ex-elected governors and their deputies from 1999.

But the present 10th Assembly, during plenary presided over by its speaker, Aondona Dajoh, on Monday repealed the bill passed into law by their predecessors on account that it was not done in good faith.

The lawmakers said the law was anti-people, and they were unanimously in support of the repeal after several contributions from members of the House.

The repealed bill stipulated the conditions of the law to include the payment of a monthly stipend as a basic pension for former governors and their deputies for life, equivalent to the current salaries of the serving governor, from the consolidated revenue of the state.

The repealed law also provided for a maintenance allowance of N25 million for former governors and N15 million for former deputy governors to be paid every four years.

It also offered the procurement of two official SUVs of the status of the former governor and one official car for the deputy governor, while the state government was mandated to provide a former governor with six personal staff members: one personal assistant, two drivers, two cleaners, and one cook.

A former deputy governor, according to the content, was also expected to enjoy three personal staff: one personal assistant, one driver, and one cleaner. The repealed law had provided for security personnel on a 24-hour guard on surveillance, as the former governor directed, along with coverage of yearly medical expenses and the replacement of vehicles every four years with new ones of the same quality and status.