Otti signs bill stopping pensions to ex-Abia governors

Alex Otti, governor of Abia, has signed the bill which repeals pension payments to former governors of the state and their deputies. 

On Tuesday, the Abia house of assembly passed the bill for a law to repeal ‘The Abia State Governors & Deputy Governors Pensions Law No 4 of 2001’.

The law stipulated that former Abia governors and deputies are entitled to 100 percent of the annual basic salaries of the incumbent governor and deputy; their cooks, stewards, drivers, and gardeners are to be paid by the state; and are entitled to three police officers and two operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Orji Kalu, a former governor of Abia, who served from 1999 to 2007, approved the law in 2001.

Speaking after the assent, Otti said the new law was designed to promote good governance and stewardship in the state.

Otti added that leadership should not be an avenue to embezzle public funds.

The Abia governor commended the state house of assembly for expeditiously working on the executive bill, while expressing satisfaction in the relationship between the executive and legislature.

“Government is not about self interest, it is actually self interest that destroys government,” Otti said.

The governor said priority should be accorded to public interest during formulation of policies.

He added that pensioners are the ones who need the funds the most and not former governors and deputies.

‘IT’S TRUE’

After the Abia assembly passed the bill revoking pension to former governors, some of the former governors denied benefitting from the old law.

Reacting to the comments, Otti said the former governors have not been paid entitlements stipulated by the old law.

“I have seen engagements where people said that they have not been collecting,” the governor added.

“It is true because they have not been paid, and we don’t believe that those payments should be made.

“One of the people that should be paid wrote to me about not being paid, I put a call across to him and explained why it should not be paid and he agreed with me.

“I told him we have not paid anyone and he said that he wants to confirm that he was not being singled out. The point I am trying to make is that even the people that should receive it believe that repealing the law is the best.”