‘To reduce cost of governance’ — Abia assembly passes bill to stop pension for ex-governors

The Abia house of assembly has repealed the law that allowed former governors of the state and their deputies to collect pensions. 

In 2001, Orji Kalu, the former governor of Abia, who served from 1999 to 2007, signed the “Abia State Governors & Deputy Governors Pensions Law No 4 of 2001”.

Kalu is currently a senator representing Abia north.

The law stipulated that the former 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).

Former governors are also entitled to two vehicles worth N20 million each every four years.

At the plenary on Tuesday, the state lawmakers passed a bill to repeal the pensions law for governors.

The bill, sponsored by Okoro Uchenna Kalu, the lawmaker representing the Arochukwu state constituency, is designed to “ensure that the outrageous cost of governance is reduced to channel Abia state resources towards the development of the state”.

The bill is expected to be transmitted to Alex Otti, governor of Abia, for assent.

The implication is that all former governors of the state and their deputies, including Kalu, Theodore Orji, and Okezie Ikpeazu, will stop getting pension entitlements.