The Zamfara State House of Assembly on Tuesday, abrogated the law enacted during the administration of Abdul’aziz Yari, to allow the payment of pension and other allowances for former state governors and their deputies, as well as former speakers and Deputy speakers.
Yari, in a letter to the state government, a requested payment of N10 million ‘monthly upkeep’, which he said had been defaulted for some months.
However, Mustapha Jafaru, Spokesperson of the Senate Assembly, in a statement made available to Newsdiaryonline on Tuesday, said the ‘abolished’ law also affects ex-speakers of the House of Assembly and their deputies.
The media aide to Governor Bello Matawalle, Yusuf Idris, on Tuesday also confirmed that Mr. Yari had written the request, and a reminder two days later.
However, the state’s House of Assembly on Tuesday abolished the law authorizing the payment of pensions to these categories of former officials.
Presenting the bill, the House Leader, Faruk Dosara, (PDP Maradun), urged his colleagues to consider the ‘complete repeal’ of the law, “which provides the jamboree payment for the former political leaders of the state at the detriment of the retired civil servants, who have not been paid their entitlements over the years.”
According to the lawmaker, these categories of past leaders “are collecting over N700 million annually”, which he said the present economy cannot accommodate.
Seconding the motion, Tukur Birnin-Tudu PDP member, representing Bakura local government said the abolition of the law is necessary.
The speaker, Nasiru Magarya, pushed the process and the bill passed both first and second readings, simultaneously.
The House immediately went into a committee of the whole after which the bill went for a third reading.
The bill will now be sent to the governor for his assent.
“With this development, all past political leaders in Zamfara will no longer enjoy any entitlement unless those prescribed by the National Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission,” Mr. Jafaru quoted the speaker as saying in the statement.
