Date: 2010-07-13

Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki has refused to assent a bill, which proposed juicy retirement packages for him. ADEKUNLE JIMOH examines the bill, the moves against it and why Saraki returned it to the House of Assembly without assenting it. 

The much pilloried pension bill for erstwhile governors and deputy governors of Kwara State is yet to see the light of the day. Governor Bukola Saraki recently returned the bill to the legislators without appending his signature on it.

The governor argued that “there are many controversial issues in it and I will not sign the Bill. I am sending it back to the House for them to take a look at some of the issues therein.

“I know that about eight states are now operating similar pension schemes but something must be amended”, the governor insisted. He said that he was more concerned “with the resources of the state and the ability to implement the bill, saying that, definitely the bill will return to the House for a second look so as to see what they can stave-off from the bill.”

Earlier, in a letter dated April 12, 2010 and signed by the then Chief of Staff (Government House), Dr. Ali Ahmad, the governor gave details of his grouses with the bill. The letter reads: “I am to convey to you the following which represent the view of His Excellency on the said bill; that entitlements under the law should be extended to all democratically elected governors and deputies of the state since 1967 (as opined by the NBA), that the annual basic salary of the governor and deputy governor should be reduced (as posited by NBA) to 50 percent of annual basic salary of the incumbent governor and deputy governor.

“On a governor or deputy who served only one term, provision of transportation should be limited to cars, rather than local transport expenses with one car and one security car; one administrative officer and one personal secretary. That the idea of provision of a residential house in the Federal Capital Territory should be discarded (as opined by NBA). The chief administrative officer, personal secretary and protocol officer of the governor should rather be two, two and one respectively.

“The annual vacation should not be part of the entitlement. On governor’s travel expenses, it is important to provide travel expenses for governor for journeys within the country.”

The letter also adds that “policemen be provided for residences and personal security of both the governors and deputies. It is hoped that the above will be taken into account in the consideration of the final outcome of the bill.”  Shedding more light on the contentious bill, the House Speaker, Hon. Babatunde Mohammed explained why Governor Saraki refused to assent  the bill.

According to him, the governor has some reservations on some of the clauses in the bill, which was a private member sponsored bill.
He said that the governor’s refusal to assent to the bill further confirmed that “it was a private member sponsored bill and not an executive bill.”

The speaker added: “Governor Saraki may be considering the lean resources of the state. We are going to look at the issues he raised at the appropriate time.”

Of the 36 Bills passed into law by the House, pension bill for former governors and former deputy governors of the state generated debates from both the government and members of the public.

The state House of Assembly passed the controversial bill into law about one and half months ago.

The coalition of opposition parties in the state derided it, describing it as selfish. The Ilorin branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) castigated it at the public hearing. Eventually, voice of reason prevailed as the state governor acceded to most of the suggestions and recommendations of the NBA.

In fact, the Kwara Stakeholders Forum (KSF) headed by Dr. Amuda Aluko described the bill as self-serving. The group, in a statement, wondered why the sponsors of the bill narrowed the beneficiaries to only those who had served from 1999 till date without considering those who had previously served the state in that capacity before 1999.

The Chairman of the Ilorin branch of NBA, Salman Jawondo had at the public hearing of the bill called for a reduction of the entire pension package for governors and their deputies by 50 per cent. He equally opposed the provision of accommodation for a consecutive two-term governor of the state in the Federal Capital Territory and canvassed  the implementation of the bill from 1967 when the state was created. Governor Saraki’s acceptance of the slicing of the entire package by half, cancellation of official residence in FCT and the implementation of the bill from 1967 as against 1999 suggested by the sponsors of the bill had helped  in silencing the initial critics of the provisions in the bill.

This has earned the governor commendations. In an advertorial signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Congress of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in the state, Mallam Zakari Mohammed and Adebayo Lawal, the body  took a swipe at those critical of the bill, saying they were blind to the monumental development in the state. In their words: “Unfortunately, for these individuals, they fail to realise that Kwara State is no longer what it used to be. While they have remained stuck with the past, fixated on their life-long obsession to “dislodge Saraki” from Kwara politics, the people of Kwara State have moved on and, therefore, can no longer be deceived by this quadrennial politicians. 

“Even the most mentally challenged villager cannot deny that the seven year administration of Dr. Bukola Saraki has redefined, not only the way Kwarans see themselves, but also the way other people see us, not only in Nigeria but in different parts of the world. Today, by the grace of God, we are no longer that State in the middle of nowhere, but one of the most dynamic and innovative States in Nigeria.“

“With a very slim resource base that sees us occupying number 33 of 36 on revenue allocation list, Dr. Bukola Saraki has managed to achieve more than what so many other States with huge resource profiles have failed to achieve. The temptation is for us to begin to mention or recap the achievements of Dr. Saraki here, but these people have eyes, so they can see; they have ears, so they can hear; so they know where we were in this state years ago, and they know where we are now."

“What they lack is lack of good intention. They are so blind with envy that they would refuse to see anything good in Dr. Bukola Saraki’s administration. After all, the governor is the son of their mortal enemy, Dr. Olusola Saraki, who against their wildest imagination has brought unprecedented development to a state that they have held down for years with their petty jealousy, lack of vision or coherence." 

“It is interesting to note that the proposed bill by the House of Assembly of Kwara State to enact a law providing for the pensions of executive governor and deputy governor in the state has given these individuals another opportunity for belly-aching. Even though the bill is a legislative bill initiated by the House of Assembly, they have sought to present it as an executive bill sponsored by the governor because it suits their malicious agenda against the governor to do so."
 
“For the avoidance of doubt, the said bill is wholly a legislative bill, which seeks to follow similar laws that have been passed at the Federal level and eight other states in the country. The House of Assembly has advertised for a public hearing on the bill, which means that every aspect of the bill is only a proposal and is open to debates, amendments, and contributions from all members of the public. 

“Therefore, these individuals can also attend the hearing to give their views. But it is understandable why they would not do this because that would not be as dramatic or as egoistic as issuing a press statement to condemn Dr. Bukola Saraki.”