Yahaya Bello
Most stakeholders in the North-Central and Taraba have rejected the law granting life pension to former governors and their deputies, describing it as unfair and economically unrealistic.
The citizens expressed their views in a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey conducted in Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau, and Taraba.
They said such privileges should not be extended to the former political leaders in view of the dwindling resources of the states coupled with the economic hardships being encountered by the people.
A section of them, however, supported the gesture, saying it should be implemented provided that the states had the resources to do so.
Some of the respondents in Kogi even charged residents of states with laws granting life pensions to former governors and their deputies to challenge such laws in the courts.
They said granting such privileges to the former governors and their deputies was unfair, exploitative, and morally wrong.
They regretted that the Executive Arm in some states arm-twisted the legislature to enact such laws and backdated them to cover their predecessors.
This, according to them, has led some of the legislative houses to demand that their Speakers and Deputy Speakers should also be covered by the law for them to be on life pension.
Mr Hamza Aliyu, Executive Director, Initiative for Grassroot Advancement (INGRA) a Civil Society Organisation based in Kogi, said that the law was in existence in the state, described as unfair and urged the citizenry not to accept it.
“The practice is unfair, unpopular, undemocratic and people should reject. I’m calling on the NBA, the Civil Society that we need to test these laws in the court. People need to take this law to court. They should not accept it.
