Zamfara assembly repeals law granting ex-Governors, others pension

Former governors, deputy governors, and other political office holders in Zamfara State will no longer enjoy the payment of pension and other entitlements. This development comes on the heels of outright repeal of the law that approves such payment by members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly.

The lawmakers abolished the law on Tuesday following a bill laid on the floor on the legislative chamber of the Assembly complex in Gusau, the state capital. Presenting the bill, House Leader Faruk Dosara (PDP Maradun I) urged his collogues to as a matter of urgency consider the complete repeal of the law.

The law, according to him, provides the ‘jamboree pay’ for the former political leaders of the state at the detriment of the retired civil servants who have not been paid their entitlements over the years.

Dosara stressed that this category of past leaders were receiving over N700,000 million naira annually at a time when the state’s economy cannot accommodate such. Seconding the motion, Tukur Tudu (PDP Bakura) explained that the abolition of the law was highly necessary as was detrimental to the socio-economic well-being of the people.

Following a series of deliberations and contributions by members, the Speaker, Nasiru Magarya, ordered the Clerk of the House to give the bill first and second reading. The House, thereafter, went for a committee of a whole which led to the third reading of the bill.

The bill scaled through the third reading while members passed it and resolved that it should be sent to the state governor, Bello Matawalle, for his assent. In a statement shortly after, the spokesperson for the House, Mustapha Kaura, noted that all past political leaders in Zamfara would no longer enjoy any entitlement, unless those prescribed by the National Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers also received an interim report by the House Standing Committee on Religious Affairs led by Kabiru Dansadau (NRM Maru South). The committee was asked to investigate the controversy surrounding the appointment of the Jumu’at Mosque Imam in Birnin Magaji Ward of Gummi Local Government Area of the state.

According to Kaura, the committee’s report indicted the district head of Birnin Magaji ward, Lauwali Hassan; district head of Gamo, Abubakar Adamu, as well as the Secretary of Gummi Emirate Council, Aminu Aliyu, among others of being culpable in the alleged scam.

It also accused them of collecting bribe from the imam which sparked some pocket of crisis in the area. In its recommendation, the committee proposed the outright suspension of the principal officers of the emirate, pending the conclusion of its investigations.

The house agreed to this and extended the duration of the investigations by three weeks. It has adjoined sitting until Wednesday. Earlier, Speaker Magarya inaugurated the new Clerk of the House, Shehu Anka, paving the way for him to assume duty officially.