Kano Assembly begins amendment of ex-govs’ pension law

Kano state House of Assembly yesterday commenced a process to amend the state law that provides pension and gratuity for former governors and deputy governors. The decision to begin the amendment of the law followed a motion of urgent public importance raised before the legislature by a member, Labaran Madari (APC), representing Warawa Constituency. According to him, the amendment of the law is to reduce unnecessary spending of public funds through payments to former governors and deputy governors who are also holding political offices after their tenures.

Madari said the decision to review the law was to suspend such payments pending when the person would no longer hold any other political office. The state would be following closely on the heels of Kwara, whose lawmakers recently passed a bill to allow for the suspension of payment of pension to former governors and deputy governors during any period they hold political or public office. Madari said “any deputy governor, who later becomes governor due to any reason, will have his pension as former deputy stopped.”

He said the decision was necessary due to economic issues caused by the overdependence on crude oil by past administrations. “As representatives of the people, it is our responsibility to find ways to reduce the burden on government so as to enable it execute projects that are of benefits to the general public,” he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the assembly members at a plenary presided by the speaker, Abdullahi Ata, suggested the creation of an adhoc committee to handle the issue.

The assembly set up an ad-hoc committee under the leadership of the House Majority Whip, Kabiru HassanDashi. The Committee has two weeks to submit its report.

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