[wysija_form id=”1″]March 7, 2015 – Indications have emerged that the National Assembly has passed a Pension Bill approving mouth-watering retirement benefit for Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, President of the Senate, Senator David Mark and their deputies, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha and Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
House of Assemblies throughout the federation also approved the self-pension bill for both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.
We gathered that this provision is contained in the amended 1999 constitution and that the bill is currently awaiting accent of President Goodluck Jonathan to become law.
Indication to this development emerged when the motion was tabled for discussion in the Lagos State House of Assembly but we gathered that the Lagos State House of Assembly has suspended debate on the issue.
Deputy Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Taiwo Kolawole who was reacting to controversial life pension bill said the bill was once introduced on the floor but that it has since been stepped down, declaring that the bill was not in any stage now and would not resurface in the nearest future.
“We did not want to touch it, but somebody said we had to discuss it. It is not coming in the nearest future. It is not in any stage now, it has been introduced and stepped down by the members. Each state assembly would work out how it would implement it’s own,” he said.
The deputy speaker, however, said it is unfortunate that the issue was coming at a time that elections were around the corner.
According to Taiwo, who is representing Ajeromi- Ifelodun 11, said the issue is part of the last amendments to the constitution that was passed to the 36 state Houses of Assembly, saying that more than two thirds of the state Assemblies across the country passed it into law.
“There was a provision for it in our constitution, but it was limited to Governors and Deputy Governors. More than two thirds of the state Houses of Assembly believe that the legislative arm of government should also benefit from this.
“It has been approved by the National Assembly and it is waiting for the assent of the President. It did not start from the Lagos State House of Assembly,” he said
