The chairman, House Committee on Public Office Holders (Payment of Pension) Bill 2012, Hon. Josiah Olu has confided in the press that the purpose of the bill is not that they (members of the House of Assmebly) were trying to make a law to enrich themselves.
Hon Olu stated this at the end of public hearing of the bill at the auditorium of the Rivers state House of Assemblies on Tuesday March 27th , 2012, explaining that what they were doing was purely domesticating what is happening in the National level where by at the end of the law no senator or House of Representatives member benefited.
He has it that the present Assembly has considered how bad it may be to see a governor who came out to do good works just as Rotimi Amaechi is doing, will after his tenure, go home having nothing to rely on.
Olu in answering questions from newsmen advised third tiers of government to copy what they are doing at the state level to the local government and the law made on this will not be applied to them.
He assured all contributors at the public hearing that their opinions will be respected and included in the make-up and present to the House to pass into law that will be good for the state.
During the deliberations, the state secretary Nigeria Union of Pensions, Comrade J. J. Agbo, disagreed with the committee for prorogating law on pension as pension is an exclusive law which can only be done by the national Assembly. Also that the law said that one is qualify for pension after serving for ten years which the governor and deputy while this laws are made for only serve for four years and that they were earning big while in office so they deserve no pension package again.
This was dismissed by the committee chainman Josiah Olu with support from section 125, sub 5 of the Nigeria constitution 1999.
Others joined former speaker of the RSHA, Rt. Hon. Ezekwenu to say that this bill should emblace law makers who served in the state Assembly too.
The state Accountant General in his submission demanded that all to be included in this law should be well spelt out so that it would not confuse his office that would implement the law.
Members of the committee who were present in the public hearing with the chairman include, Dr. Innocent Barikor, Hon. Felicia Tanee, among others. ###
Mene Gabrabe and Pius Dukor
