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DAN ONWUKWE
History has shown that no one can lead who does not first acquire power. And no leader can be great who does not know how to use power for greater purposes. However, the trouble sometimes is that the combination of the two skills is rare. But the Governor of Imo state Hope Uzodinma has ably shown that the use of the two skills is possible, provided it is for the greater good of the State. He recognises that success in governance requires diligence, adjusting course, firmness, not timidity, boldness, not fear, and with all of these, politics can indeed, bring about the desired change.
One key element in Gov Uzodinma’s style of governance that I have observed is his utter realism, his ability to look facts – even very seemingly unpleasant facts – in the face and not let himself be deluded by wishful thinking. His administration’s repeal of the Governors’ Pensions and Privileges Law of 2007, is a masterstroke. The State House of Assembly last Thursday took a remarkable and worthy decision that other state legislatures across the country should take a cue from when it repealed the controversial and scandalous Pensions Law that hitherto entitled ex-governors, their deputies, former Speakers and their deputies of the State legislature, humongous amounts as payment of pensions and other entitlements.
It was a moment that history will be kind to the present lawmakers of the State legislature for responding to the outrageous pension and other entitlements that political office holders continue to enjoy at the detriment of the State resources even after leaving public office. The Governor last week signed that into Law, and made history for himself, and save the State huge amount that will be ploughed to get things done for the citizens. This is by far one of the most consequential decisions that the governor has made within the few months of his administration. This has brought him accolades even from his political foes. It is bound to influence public opinion in his favour. Expectedly, the Governor has explained why his administration took the decision. He said that his government sponsored the bill on the repeal of Governors’ and Speakers’ pensions and privileges law of 2007 because it was illegal and designed to allow few privileged people to feed fat on the Commonwealth of the people.
He also explained that the now repealed law was against the Pensions Act which stipulates that only those who have put in a minimum of 10 years in public service are entitled to pensions. None of the former governors of the state and Speakers of the State legislature stay in office beyond eight years. Governor Uzodinma, therefore, wondered how this category of ex-political officeholders who collect fat severance allowances at the end of their tenures could be paid pensions as well. It amounts to robbing Peter to pay Paul. Sad and unacceptable.
With the amended law, all former governors of the state cease to enjoy the jumbo pension pay, forthwith. Governor Uzodinma by this decision, was unselfish. Others would have considered themselves first, but he took this uncommon decision in the overall interest of the state’s economy. In his words: “As a young state grappling with enormous challenges, it dawned on me that the Imo State Governors and Speakers Pensions and Privileges law No. 5 of 2007 was a bad omen. At the age our Governors and Speakers are leaving office, it will not be out of place to assume that many of them will be alive and kicking in the next 15 years or more. This will mean that by then the state will have more than 20 governors and speakers who will be qualified for pensions and privileges”.
Again, this is putting the state and citizens above self. It’s a strikingly candid and worthy decision. Beyond that, the Governor expressed shock at the financial implications for the state if the decision was not taken, describing it as “scandalous and indefensible”. Indeed, it is. According to him, his simple calculation showed that a time might come, perhaps pretty soon, when the state could be spending more than one third of its resources to maintain former Governors and Speakers. By the governor’s action, the State expects to save about N1.2 billion annually from the stoppage of ex-governors’ pensions and privileges.
No sitting Governor who has the interest of the state at heart will condole such collosal waste on few individuals who had already accumulated so much at public expense. Also, paying pensions for political officeholders who spent no more than 8 years runs foul of the Constitution.
No surprise, there’s almost unanimous agreement in the state that the governor did the right thing. A prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees(BoT) Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, and elder statesman Dr.Ezekiel Izuogu, and Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth wing, all hailed the governor’s action. As the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA), Orlu branch noted, the new legislation has liberated Imo people from the humongous financial burden of servicing few officeholders, especially when the state government is facing the challenge of workers salaries and pensions of retirees. As another son of the State, Chief Bob Njemanze said, if Gov Uzodinma continues in this noble path and doesn’t derail, he will put himself in the same pedestal with the first civilian governor of the state Dr Sam Mbakwe. Perhaps too early to make such conclusion.
But as Uzodinma rightly said, “history and my conscience will not forgive me” if he allowed this to go on . “Yes, I need to recover the billions of public funds that could have been lavished on a privileged few and plough it back to the more important business of developing our state”. For me, this is how a good leader who looks at how history will judge him thinks.
Having a larger, rather than a narrow end is how political leaders should think and act, always. Power, historians say, reveals, and it’s showing the good side of Uzodinma. No doubt, the repealed Governors and Speakers’ Pensions and Privileges law No. 5 of 2007 was an obnoxious law, selfish and self-centered without regard to the hardships being faced by the vast majority of Nigerians. The ravaging impact of the Coronavirus has made things much worse.
Only last November, the Governor of Zamfara state Bello Matawalla took a similar measure when the state legislature repealed the state Pension law for ex-governors of the State and other key officeholders which had caused the poor state humongous amount. Other states with obnoxious pensions law for ex-governors and former speakers are Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Lagos, Kwara, Gombe, Kano and Sokoto. In all, challenges of a more immediate sort are defining the character of many governors and where they stand on issues affecting the state and its resources.
History will be kind to governors like Uzodinma and others who have taken such bold decision to free their states from the stranglehold of past leaders. Democracy should be about people and development, not about the self interest of few privileged people who see public office to corner state resources for themselves.
Onwukwe writes from Lagos
