Abia Lawmakers Agree to Stop Paying Past Governors, Deputies Pension

In a bid to reduce the cost of governance, the Abia state House of Assembly approved a bill that will cease the state’s pension payments to past governors and their deputies.

The law that aims to revoke the Abia State Governors and Deputy Governors Pensions Law No. 4 of 2001, together with other related matters, is known as “A Bill (H.A.B 11:).”

The majority leader and member representing the Arochukwu State constituency, Mr. Uchanna Okoro, sponsored it.

The Speaker, Mr Emmanuel Emeruwa, announced the bill’s passage after its first, and second reading, consideration at the committee of the whole and its 3rd reading during the day’s plenary.

After the bill’s first and second readings, deliberation in the committee of the whole, and third reading during the day’s plenary, Speaker Mr. Emmanuel Emeruwa declared the law passed.

Emeruwa congratulated the members but added that the bill would save the state money on governance and divert it to development.

After the governor has given his approval, he said, the bill will be known as the “Abia State Governors and Deputy Governor’s (Repeal) Law 2024.”

With the bill, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) noted that former governors and their deputies will no longer enjoy pension benefits after their tenures have expired.

It added that there had been a lot of controversies over the years concerning the outrageous life person and other enviable benefits being paid to the governors and their deputies.

Although a small number of states had taken action to repeal the statute, several states had a casual attitude toward doing so.