By Amos Aar
ALTHOUGH owing Benue workers serving at both the state and local government levels, in addition to a huge pile up of pension arrears of over 73 months, outgoing governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has proposed before the Benue State House of Assembly a bill requesting that former governors and their deputies be granted pension and gratuity packages among other benefits.
The bill scaled first reading on Tuesday’s plenary at the Benue State House of Assembly.
Majority Leader of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Damian Cheme, presented the executive bill on the floor of the House and it was read by the Clerk of the House, Mr Bernard Nule.
Deputy speaker of the House, Hon. Christopher Adaji, who presided over the plenary, forwarded the bill to the Business and Rules Committee of the House to be slated for debate on another date.
If the bill is passed into law, the incumbent Governor Ortom, who is billed to handover to Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in less than two months, will be the first former Governor of Benue State to enjoy the said privileges.
But before the official presentation and reading of the bill on the floor of the House, the Benue State chapter of the APC had on Monday, April 10, 2023, through its Director of Communications, Mr Tersoo Kula, kicked against the executive bill, describing it as a plan to deepen Benue’s woes before and after Ortom’s exit from office on May 29, 2023.
The APC gave more insight into the executive bill and called on well-meaning citizens of the state to prevail on their members at the State Assembly not to pass the bill into law. They pointed out that Ortom has not treated Benue pensioners well throughout his eight years hence he should not be entitled to pension.
“It has come to our knowledge that the outgoing Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has forwarded a bill to the State House of Assembly that will place ex-governors, starting with him, on gratuity, pension and other benefits.
“The bill also stipulates that after May 29th when he will become ex-governor, Ortom should be allowed by law to go with some choice properties of government in his possession as his post- service package.
“According to the bill which was sited [sighted] by our impeccable sources, Governor Ortom should be built a mansion of his taste in any part of the country he chooses to stay after leaving Government House; his medical trips with those of his family members should be footed by the State in addition to a jumbo monthly pay package.
“Meanwhile, findings revealed that members of the Benue State House of Assembly are disposed to passing the bill but on condition that the Governor must give them some gratifications before they will initiate action on the bill which they consider to be more in Governor Ortom’s interest.
“Consequently, is it not appalling that Ortom who has, throughout his time as Governor of Benue State treated pensioners with utmost barratry that slides most of them to destitution now wants to be a pensioner?
“We therefore, call on all citizens of conscience to intervene by restraining their representatives at the Benue State House of Assembly from initiating any action that will facilitate passing the bill in order not to deepen the despondency of the state”, the statement reads in part.
