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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
A Board of Trustees (BOT) and national caucus member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Benjamin Apugo has lauded Governor Alex Otti and members of Abia House of Assembly for the repeal of the
Abia State Governors and Deputy Governors Pensions Law.
The Bill known as H.A.B 11: Law to Revoke the Abia State Governors and Deputy Governors Pensions Law No 4 of 2001 and for other Matters connected therewith, was passed into Law on Tuesday.
The bill will now be transmitted to the Governor for assent, after which its implementation will take immediate effect.
Speaking on the development, Apugo queried what the beneficiaries of the former law did for the state that will warrant them to be paid pension for life.
He said it was annoying that a Governor who had total control of the finances of the state for eight years and did whatever he liked with it, without anybody questioning him, will turn around to be paid pension for life.
The APC Chieftain said it is more annoying that civil servants and other public servants who were statutorily entitled for pension, were denied it, only for ex-Governors and their deputies to be paid bogus amount as pension.
“Ex-Governors and their Deputies do not deserve to be paid any pension. The people who enacted the Law in the first place did not love the state.
“It is quite unfortunate that monies meant for the pensions of those who genuinely deserve them were used to pay those who never merited or deserved it.”
He said it was only a Governor with the pedigree of Otti, who would push for the repeal of such Law.
Apugo said Abians are solidly behind Otti and members of the State House of Assembly in this wise.
While urging the Governor not to hesitate in signing the bill into Law, Apugo called on Otti to ensure that monies paid to any former Governor, be refunded to the state.
