Lagos Assembly slashes pensions of former govs, deputies by 50%

LAGOS – The Lagos State House of Assembly has ap­proved a 50 percent reduction in pension of former governors and deputies of the state.

The approval was made after the lawmakers consid­ered the report of its com­mittee on establishment.

The committee recom­mended the removal of the section of the law that stipulates the provision of houses for ex-governors in Abuja and Lagos State while it reduced the number of ve­hicles to be made available to them and their deputies.

Though the committee recommended three vehi­cles for ex-governors but the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, suggested two vehicles for them, including a car and a van.

He also suggested that the amended bill should provide that the cars be changed ev­ery four years instead of the three years recommended by the committee in the report.

Also, some of the lawmak­ers at the plenary called for an upward review of the pension for the affected public office holders by 75 percent while others urged that the pension remain as stipulated in the old law.

The speaker, however, ar­gued that the pension be left at 50 percent since the report had recommended removal of houses and reduced other benefits.

Obasa stressed the need to secure the lives of ex-public office holders, saying he has seen some former speakers and ex-governors in very bad situation after leaving office.

 He further pointed out that the argument for down­ward review of the pension for former governors and others by his colleagues could be affected by inflation and other economic consider­ations while he stressed the need for the House to meet the yearning of the people, which include cutting down cost of governance.