The Zamfara state House of Assembly has on Tuesday repealed the law that stipulates the payment of jumbo pension to retired political office holders such as Former Governors, their deputies, Speakers and their deputies in the state. The twist in the law came barely 48hrs after a letter written by the former governor of the state, Abdulazeez Yari demanding payment of monthly upkeep allowance to the tune of ten million from the state got leaked.
The letter has continued to generate condemnation from various groups over the political rascality of some few political office holders in Nigeria.
Contained in the letter, Yari was demanding a ten million naira monthly upkeep allowance from the state government purportedly backed by law which was amended on March 23, 2019, two months before Yari left the Zamfara government House.
Presenting the bill before the House, the House Leader, Faruk Musa Dosara (PDP Maradun 1) urged his colleagues to ‘‘as a matter of urgency revisit the said law which provides for jumbo pay to former political leaders of the state as against the interest of the masses and the retired civil servants of the state whom have not been paid their entitlements running into years’’.
The lawmaker quoted that based on available information; the past leaders were drawing up to N700million naira from the state pause annually, which he opined has continued to put more pressure on the state revenue and can no longer be tolerated.
Seconding the move, Tukur Jekada Birnin Tudu (PDP) supported the abolishment of the law, saying it is highly necessary as it is a big threat to the state fragile treasury and the well being of the state at large.
Subsequently, after series of debate on the bill by the members, Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya, the speaker of the House ordered the clerk to present the bill for the first and second time where the house was dissolved into committees to further deliberate on the issue.
Daily Trust gathered that the bill will soon be sent to the governor for his assent.
Accordingly, if eventually the bill is assented to by the governor, by implication, no past political leader will be entitled to any allowance except those proscribed by the Revenue Mobilization and Physical Commission, the spokesperson of the house disclosed.
