The pension law was passed by rubber stamp state assembly in 2007 as former Governor Bola Tinubu was ending his second term tenure.
Governor
Babajide Sanwo-Olu struck the right chord today when he announced he would
submit a law very soon abolishing what critics have called the obscene pension
package of former Lagos governors.
He said the
move was necessary as state resources are dwindling.
The governor
may also be doing so as the destruction of state assets by hoodlums in October
will take many billions of naira to replace.
Titled:The
Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension) Law No 11 Official Gazette of Lagos
State, 2007, the law has been copied by other states.
But states
such as Zamfara and Bauchi have cancelled their own versions of the law.
And a court
of law had ruled that that the law was illegal, as it is not in the
constitution.
Beside, the
Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC said the
governors are only entitled to 300 percent severance pay, as provided in
Certain Political Office Holders and Judicial Officers Remuneration Act.
Under that
act, former governors,, like lawmakers are entitled to 300% of their basic
salary of N2, 223,705 amounting to N6,671,115 as severance pay.
The Lagos
pension law for ex-governors states that former governors of the state are
entitled to a house each in any location of their choice in Lagos and Abuja.
Section 2 of
the law states that, “One residential house each for the governor and the
deputy governor at any location of their choice in Lagos State and one
residential house in the Federal Capital Territory for the governor on two
consecutive terms.”
This means
Akinwunmi Ambode, a one-termer is not entitled to a house in Abuja, but he is
entitled to one in Lagos.
Only Tinubu
and Fashola qualify for two houses, one in Lagos and the other in Abuja.
The law also
provides for six new cars every three years, 100 per cent of the basic salary
of the serving governor (N7.7m per annum), as well as free health care for himself
and members of his family.
The law also
says former governors will be entitled to:
*Furniture
allowance, which is 300 per cent of their annual basic salary (N23.3m);
*House
maintenance allowance, which is 10 per cent of basic salary (N778, 296);
*Utility allowance, which is 20 per cent of the salary (N1.5m)
*Car
maintenance allowance, which is 30 per cent of the annual basic salary (N2.3m).
*Entertainment
allowance, which is 10 per cent of the basic salary (N778, 296)
*A personal
assistant, who will earn 25 per cent of the governor’s annual basic salary
(N1.9m).
According to
the law, the former governor will also be entitled eight policemen and two
officials of the Department of State Services for life. The state will bear the
expenses.
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