Benue Assembly repeals life pension for Akume, Suswam, Ortom, others

The Benue State House of Assembly on Monday repealed the life pension law for former governors and their deputies.

The Benue State life pension law is meant to maintain former governors and their deputies all through their lifetime.

In May 2023, a few days to the end of their tenure, the 9th Assembly had passed the controversial pension bill to extend benefits to ex-elected governors and their deputies from 1999.

Those affected include; former governors George Akume, Gabriel Suswam, Samuel Ortom, ex-deputy governors, Steven Lawani and Engr Benson Abounu, who are still alive.

But, the present 10th Assembly, during plenary on Monday repealed the bill passed into law by their predecessors on account that it was not done in good faith.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 unanimous in support of the repeal after several contributions from members of the House.

Speaker of the House, Aondona Dajoh, therefore ruled in favour of the unanimous resolution of the House to repeal the “Bill for a law to repeal provision for the maintenance of former elected governors of the state and their deputies and for other matters connected thereto 2024.”

Recall that the former Speaker of the 9th Assembly, Engr. Titus Uba, had led the plenary, which earlier passed the bill to law after it was presented on the floor by the then chairman, House Committee on Business and Rules, Hon. Geoffrey Agbatse.

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

“A monthly stipend equivalent to the Basic salary of a serving/incumbent Governor in the State for life and which shall be a charge on the Consolidated Revenue Funds of the state

“The Deputy Governor shall enjoy a monthly stipend equivalent to the Basic salary of an incumbent Deputy Governor for life and shall be charged on the Consolidated Revenue Funds of the State.

“A maintenance allowance of N25,000,000.00 for the former governor and the deputy governor is N15,000,000.00 every four years.”