By Destiny Akaiso
The governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Obong Bassey Albert Akpan (OBA), has stated that his government will reject and abolish the controversial gratuities and pensions for former governors, running into several billions of naira per month.
While answering a question during the Akwa Ibom Governorship Debate, on January 29, 2923, OBA said he will not collect the humongous pay as a former governor, adding that it was insensitive of any government to continue with such a scheme when millions of the citizens are languishing in abject poverty.
In view of the harsh socioeconomic realities and the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the state, he said, one of the things he will do in his first 100 days in office, when elected as governor, will be to initiate a processes to stop such payment.
Describing as humongous, extravagant, insensitive and anti-people the existing pension package which came into effect since 2015, he argued that in as much as former governors and their deputies deserved some level of attention and welfare packages, a reduction in that amount would be of great impact to the cirizens.
OBA who is also the incumbent two-term senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West in the National Assembly,
It would be recalled that the House of Assembly in 2015, approved outrageous and astronomic upward review of out-of-office entitlements for former governors and former deputy governors and their spouses.
Former governors and their deputies were to receive N2.2billion and N2.1 billion respectively as monthly pensions and a total of N26. 6bilion and N25.3billion respectively as pension, per annum.
Other perks were N100m annual medical fees; 5m monthly for the services of cooks, drivers and security; a house not below a 5-bedroon mansion in Uyo and Abuja; new set of vehicles after every four years, etc.
But speaking in reference to that controversial pension law, OBA maintained that allocating such amount of monies as residual benefits to persons who had served and solely depended on State resources for eight long years of total comfort, to say the least, amounted to irrational pampering and condonable injustice to the many pensioners and retirees who had put in 35 or more years of service to the State, yet were still being owed pensions and gratuities.
He said: ” Remember, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, this is a State with the second highest unemployment rate of about 75% poverty rate; and a frightening debt profile of over 400billion as it stands presently. Although former leaders of the state deserve some considerations in appreciation for their contributions, interest of the poor masses must and will always take prominence in my administration. I shall collaborate with the State House and related authorities to ensure that the Pension Law for former governors and their deputies are aligned with realities, to reflect modesty, accountability and the conscience of a good leader”.
Other critical areas of needs, according the governorship hopeful, which he said were already well captured in his manifesto entitled “Positive Impact Agenda”, included effective use of the security votes for inclusion and greater impact, reduction in cost of governance, accelerated work on Ibaka Deep Seaport, human capacity development, incentives for entrepreneurship, discouraging needless borrowing, and launch of Akwa Ibom Prosperity Fund, etc.
Commentators who have responded to OBA’s planned proposal have commended him, saying his plans signpost the kind of accountability, people-oriented concerns and prudence expected of anybody who will govern the State at a time like this.
