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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed a Bill amending Schedules A and C of Law No. 004 of 2008 and fixed the monthly remuneration of Local Government Chairmen in the state for N450,000, while Vice Chairmen are to receive N400,000 as monthly salary.
Local Government Supervisors and Secretaries in the state are to receive N230,000 and N240,000, respectively, while Special Assistants to the Council Chairmen, are to receive N165,000 monthly.
Those who are in Schedule C of the revised remuneration includes, Legislative Leader, N300,000, Deputy Leader, N250,000, Councillors, N230,000, Development Centre Coordinator – N277,000 and Management Committee Members, N226,000.
The law as amended in 2015 is known as the Ebonyi State Local Government Councils and Development Centres Regulations and Remunerations for Public and Political Office Holders.
The amendment was considered and passed during the House’s plenary session, on Wednesday, at the Legislative Complex, Nkaliki Road in Abakaliki, the state capital, presided over by the Speaker, Moses Ije Odunwa.
Presenting the letter of the State Governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru, to the House, the Speaker explained that the proposed amendment principally affects the remuneration schedules for various public and political office holders at the local government and development centre levels.
He stated that Schedule A covers the remuneration of Local Government Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, Supervisors, Secretaries, and Special Assistants to Chairmen, while Schedule C covers the remuneration of Legislative Leaders, Deputy Leaders, Councillors, Development Centre Coordinators, and Management Committee Members.
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Leading the debate on the Bill, the Leader of the House, Kingsley Ikoro, noted that Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, empowers the State House of Assembly to legislate on matters relating to the structure and administration of Local Government Councils. He explained that the Bill was specifically focused on the review and amendment of the remuneration schedules applicable to the affected public and political office holders.
In the debate, before the dissolution of the House into Committee of the whole, the Leader of the House, Kingsley Ikoro, said that the motion for the dissolution is to enable members to thoroughly consider and fine-tune the provisions of the Bill. The motion was seconded by the Member representing Ezza South State Constituency, Friday Ogbuewu.
Upon the reconvening of plenary, the Speaker, Moses Odunwa, reported the progress of the Committee of the Whole and outlined the revised remuneration figures.
The Speaker commended the state Governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru for what he described as his continued commitment to initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of the people and strengthening grassroots administration.
Odunwa further reaffirmed the commitment of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to maintaining a productive partnership with the Executive Arm of Government in advancing the administration’s People’s Charter of Needs agenda and delivering meaningful development to the people of the state.
Thereafter, the Leader of the House, Kingsley Ikoro, moved a motion for the passage of the amendment Bill. The motion was seconded by the Member representing Ikwo North State Constituency, Ifeanyi Nwakpu.
The Speaker, subsequently, put the motion to a voice vote, and the Bill was unanimously passed. He, thereafter, directed the Clerk of the House, Mrs. Edene Blessing, to communicate the passage of the amendment Bill to Governor Nwifuru.
The plenary was adjourned to another legislative day, following a motion moved by the Leader of the House, Kingsley Ikoro, and seconded by the Member representing Ebonyi North West State Constituency, Aloysius Nwodo.
