Investigations have revealed that Council Chairmen in Rivers State will now retire home not only as pensionable workers but with favourable opportunities and benefits as a bill to enhance them the privilege of earning pensions and gratuities in life after the substantive 3 or 6 years tenure in their respective local government areas as have been passed into byelaws by the respective legislative councils.
Information reaching The Newswriter news room has it that chairmen in their meeting of Association of Local Government Councils of Nigeria (ALGON) decided to take queue behind the Governor Amaechi led administration which will be enjoying certain privileges after office in 2015, stating that it was necessary to compel the councilors to pass the bill in their favour.
In the respective councils, the executive bill sent to the legislative councils amongst others seek for the free treatment of ex-chairmen in any choice hospital in the state, attachment of an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps as personal security for life, provision of a domestic assistant, procurement of personal landed property in a choice area within the state, regular servicing and provision of personal vehicle, all at the expense of the respective councils.
According to the source, the chairmen claimed that since Governors and Deputy Governors will be enjoying these privileges, it is their entitlement to enjoy same gesture at the local level.
The funny scenario is that all the local government chairmen have not built or have it in their blue print if there is any, the vision to erect any clinic not to mention hospital in their various LGA’s, but seek to enjoy medical services at the expense of the council when they must have left office.
If these byelaws are allowed to have its entrant into the state, then it will be one of the controversial legacies that the administration of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi would be leaving behind.
It would be recalled that the Rivers State House of Assembly had in 2013 passed into law an executive bill, approving the pensionable right of Governors and Deputy Governors in the state.
The gesture as granted the state chief executives had aggravated the ALGON in Rivers State since according to them; they are on same plane of being elected.
Further investigations have revealed that while most of Local Government Legislative Assembly bowed to pressure from their chairmen, Heads of Local Government Authority (HLGA), Heads of Personnel Management/Directors of Administration (HPM/DOA) and Directors of Finance (Treasurers), the Port Harcourt City Local Government Legislative Assembly made a U-turn by passing the bill in an anti-direction.
The source within the Phalga Legislative Assembly revealed that while the Mayor wanted free health treatment in any choice hospital in the state, the councilors after deliberations passed that, such gesture would be possible only on the approval on a written application to a sitting Mayor and must be in any clinic or hospital built by the Phalga Council.
On the attachment of a personal security guard to the ex-Mayor, the councilors maintained that such services must be the financial responsibility of the ex-Mayor who must however apply to the Nigeria security and civil defence corps and council for approval.
The acquisition of a landed property in the state, provision and servicing of personal or official vehicles as well as appointment of Personal Assistant at the expense of the council was totally unacceptable to Phalga legislatures as whatever any ex-Mayor would think of achieving should not be at the expense of the council haven enjoyed several privileges while in council.
The Phalga Legislative Assembly which critically examined the bill described the decision of the chairmen as murdering the existence of LGA’s in the state and warns councilors of other LGAs against the temptations of jeopardizing their future endeavours in their different localities.
The Phalga councilors according to the insider source wondered why such gesture could not be extended to them describing the alleged reason of numerous councilors in the state as a guise to injustice against humanity.
They however, submitted that subsequent Legislative Assembly could quash the bill by reason of repealing it. ###
