The Niger Delta Citizens and Budget Platform (NDCBP) an unmbrella Organisation that specialized in budget monitoring and evaluation comprising different Non-governmental Organisations has joined others to condemn the quick passage of the pension bill and the signing into law by the state governor Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi.
The group made the remark at the press conference organized on June 4, 2012 at the social action office Orominike layout, D/Line, Port Harcourt.
The convener of the body, Mr. Ken Henshaw, stated that despite the poor financial situation in Rivers State and the lack of employment among the youths, the Rivers State House of Assembly went ahead with the passage of the obnoxious law whose provision amongst others provide for former governors and their deputies, which includes houses in choice location in cities around the country, the provision of police men, fleet of cars, free medical expense, 100% salary as pension. Others are, education for family members and relations to prestigious universities in the world which will also be benefited by their deputies.
Ken Henshaw positioned that this passage of bill which is now a law is coming at a time when the Rivers State government has at various forums admitted that its financial situation was precarious, prompting the state government to seek for loan to finance the yearly budget which has left some projects unattended to.
Mr. Ken Hensahw, a program officer with the social action, stated that the priority of government ought to be service delivery and good governance rather than to increase the financial position of the already rich governors in the society.
He blamed the Rivers State House of Assembly who are yet to produce any bill to alleviate the poor suffering of Rivers people but to be busy doling out anti-people’s acts since its inception, especially the area of poverty which has become endemic in the society and the issue of lack of modern Housing for low income earners despite the billions budgeted for housing in the state each year.
He told journalists that it is even more suspicions and questionable at the speed this bill was passed and signed into law by the governor few days after its passage by the Assembly. Mr. Henshaw noted that despite the outcry against that bill the state governor still went ahead and signed it into law.
He used the occasion to state its position against such law which is undemocratic, anti-people, unpopular and unjustifiable and should therefore be repealed.
When asked what should have been the position of the lawmakers since it is constitutional, he stated that the same constitution did not tell you to take from the poor and give to the rich because they did not mention all these since the people are suffering in poverty and starvation.
On the issue that some states have passed such laws, he said we are not copying everything from other states, “if so why did he not copy the housing projects in some of the western states?”
On the next plan of action if there will be demonstration, he answered that there are series of plans which include court action while calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to step in and investigate the matter.
Speaking further, Vivian Belowa viewed the action by the Assembly as sin against the state saying the resources for sustaining the youths will now be channeled for accumulation of wealth by just two persons in the state.
It could be recalled that in 2010, Rivers State government in the budget appropriated N250m for debt servicing, while in 2011 budget it increased to 250%. Therefore, this pension is unwarranted expenditure because its budget implementation is only 40% a situation that shows all is not well for the state. ###
Pius Dukor
