The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has named a former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Kabiru Rurum, as chairman of the House Committee on Pensions, following the constitution of 105 standing committees on Thursday.
Mr Gbajabiamila announced the chairmen and vice chairmen of the committees, which were increased from 96 in the 8th Assembly to105.
The former Kano speaker, who now represents Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya Federal Constituency, had in the twilight of his term as Speaker of the state House of Assembly, passed a life pension bill for speaker and deputy speaker.
The Pension Rights of Speaker and Deputy Bill 2019, which was passed and assented to on May 7, gave the presiding officers the privilege to earn life benefits following the expiration of their tenure.
In addition, the duo would enjoy medical trips once in 12 months and choice vehicles every four years.
The package however comes with a clause: “the prospect of the luscious fruit vanishes immediately the principal officer is impeached.”
The bill states: “There shall be paid pension to person(s) who held office as speaker and deputy speaker equal to the emoluments of a serving speaker and deputy speaker, provided that either the speaker or the deputy do not hold any paid elective or selective appointments.
“Any person duly elected as speaker or deputy speaker shall, on completion of his term, be entitled to a grant of pension for life by the state, provided that such person was not removed from office through impeachment by members of the House of Assembly.
“Where the speaker or deputy vacates office before the expiration of the term of his office, not as a result of impeachment, he shall be paid pension pro-rata the number of years he spent in relation to his tenure of office.”
The bill reads further: “Where the speaker or deputy speaker dies in office before the expiration of the term of his tenure, he shall be paid pension pro-rata the number of years he spent in relation to his tenure of office.
“There shall be provided for the speaker and the deputy speaker a brand new vehicle to be bought by the state government every four years. There shall be provided for the speaker and the deputy speaker medical expenses either home or abroad depending on the nature of the illness.”
DAILY NIGERIAN recalls that in 2018, the Assembly rejected a similar bill seeking life pensions for governor and deputy governor.
The law is currently contested at the Federal High Court, Kano.
