By Dipo Olowookere
The Lagos State House of Assembly has argued that repealing the law that grants pension and other emoluments to governors and deputies after leaving office would expose them to security risks.
This submission was made on Monday when the bill submitted last year by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to repeal the law was read on the floor for a second time.
The bill is titled A Bill for a law to repeal the law to provide for the payment of pensions and other fringe benefits to public office holders in Lagos State and for other connected matters.
In his argument yesterday, Mr Oluyinka Ogundimu stated that the governors and their deputies and other such political office holders should be made to enjoy some benefits no matter how little.
He also argued that the bill should be amended in such a way that it would not throw former political officers to security challenges since if the original law is repealed, it would mean withdrawing all security agents and domestic staff earlier attached to them.
The lawmaker explained that the bill is to ensure the stoppage of pensions to governors and deputies when they leave office, adding that this decision was in consideration of the country’s current economic challenges.
Another congressman, Mr Tobun Abiodun, in his submission, said he does not subscribe to a total repeal of the law because it would give room to corruption in office, saying provisions should be made available to governors, deputies and possibly speakers after they leave office.
In his contribution, Mr Rotimi Abiru said he supports an amendment to the law instead of a repeal, noting that, “For a person who has served as chief executive of a state, I do not think it is nice denying them of their benefits.”
“I can appreciate that some of them move to other appointments. For these people, there can be a caveat. But for those who serve in that capacity and do not have any other thing to do after office, it may not be something elaborate, but something may be coming to them periodically,” he added.
As for Mr Gbolahan Yishawu, the parliament has the power to make and review laws, especially where it includes one like the pension bill that was passed 14 years ago and needs to be looked at again.
He said the objective of the bill as raised by the executive is to ensure that the state begins to look inward in relation to cost of governance, adding that by virtue of his position as chairman of the committee on economic planning and budget, he has had the opportunity to check the finances of the state and would say Lagos is not very rich, but only has people who effectively manage its resources.
The lawmaker also agreed that the security of the lives of such political office holders when they leave office should be considered urging that the bill be sent to a committee.
The Speaker of the House, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, in his submission, said repealing the law in totality would expose former governors and deputies to security challenges.
“I don’t think we should trash it in totality,” he said as he committed the bill to the House Committee on Establishment with a two-week mandate for a report to be submitted.
