Former Presidents, heads of the federal legislature, former Chief Justices, and all former military leaders are to be paid allowances for life, the Senate decided on Wednesday, in a radical amendment of the law that also puts a smile on the faces of serving public officers.
The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) was mandated to set the new package for former Heads of State Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, and Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo will benefit too, likewise former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate Presidents Anyim Pius Anyim, Adolphus Wabara, Ken Nnamani, and their former Deputies; former House of Representative Speakers, and their former Deputies.
Senate President David Mark is in, along with his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu; Speaker Dimeji Bankole, his Deputy, Usman Nafada, and former and current Chief Justices.
And the perks are to be enjoyed by the spouses and children of the late President Nnamdi Azikiwe, the late Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the late Heads of State Murtala Mohammed and Sani Abacha, as well as by those of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.
The Bill was read for the first time on September 17, 2008.
It scaled Second Reading on May 27 last year, and was referred to the Committee on National Planning, Economic Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (chaired by Zainab Kure) for further action.
In the conference report Kure presented on Wednesday, the Senate Amended Section 84 (1-5) of the Constitution to provide for annual allowances for former Presidents, Vice Presidents, Heads of Government, Prime Minister, Senate Presidents and House of Representatives Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
A proposal to include Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly was rejected.
The Bill stipulates that former Presidents and former Vice Presidents shall “be paid such amount as shall be recommended from time to time by the RMAFC and approved by the National Assembly (NASS) as upkeep allowance in addition to the pension entitlement under the Constitution. ”
They shall be “entitled to the perquisites of the office as shall be recommended by the RMAFC.”
Former Senate Presidents, former Speakers and their Deputies shall be “paid an up keep allowance from time to time as recommended by the RMAFC and approved by the NASS.”
They are also entitled to the perquisites of office as recommended from time to time by the RMAFC.
An amendment of Sub-section 2 (1) says: “The members of the families of deceased former Presidents and Vice Presidents shall be entitled to annual payments as shall be recommended by the RMAFC and approved by the (NASS) and in a manner as shall also be prescribed by the (NASS).”
The allowances specified in Sub-section 1 shall be applied for the up keep of the spouse and education of the children of deceased former Presidents and deceased former Vice Presidents up to university graduate level or its equivalent.
Sub-section 3 explains that, “For the avoidance of doubt, the allowance specified in sub-section 1 shall cease upon the death of the last spouse of the office holder.”
All the allowances shall be incorporated in the annual budget of the Federal Government which shall make provision for their remuneration.
In the initial amendment done by the Senate, Section 84 (5) restricted payment to only elected former Presidents and Vice Presidents.
During debate on the Bill, Mark (former Communications Minister and military Governor of Niger State), had backed the exclusion of his former military colleagues from benefiting from the package.
“This is to discourage other ways of getting into power through unconstitutional means; the only way recognised by the Constitution is through the ballot box and not through the barrel of the gun,” he had argued.
Source: Daily Independent – www.independentngonline.com
Talk of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer!!when retired employees of Nigerian Airways are yet to b paid some folks lyk OBJ wuld get paid for lyf for messing up the labour of our heroes past and the future of generations unborn..TABOO!
A CASE OF INSENSITIVITY, OF GREED, LAZINESS AND OVER-DEPENDENCE ON THE NATION’S PURSE EVEN TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE MILLIONS OF NIGERIAN MASSES. WHILE IN OFFICE, LOOTING SPREE, OUT OF OFFICE, THEY STILL CONTINUE TO AMASS WEALTH UNDULY EVEN WHEN THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN RECYCLED OVER AND OVER. for sure a new set of selfless leaders will emerge sooner than we think that will put all this in their proper place— THE THRASH BIN.
This is Good I pray that fraudlent mind should be reduce God bless Nigeria
@tijjani.i dont intend running a battle of comments with u with regards 2 d issue in discuss bt culd u indulge me 4da about wat is gud in paying SOME inhibitors of our fatherland 4 lyf when if there is a nxt lyf these evil genuis and baba iyabos wuld stil continue 2 enjoy their loot.haba oga tijjani i dont c anyting gud about it..if they dont know wat 2 do with tax payers money let them use it 2 alleviate d poverty of d common man
May Almight save and protect us in this our dear country NIGERIA,sometime i just wonder may be the mercy of ALMIGHT is with us in this our country?Cos if really we do am sure GOD would have destroyed all our so called leaders,imagine after serious looting in public office then they decided to make a big life allowance for themselves and in this same country youths that just finished tertiary institution are paid #9775.00 and they want this youths not to be corrupt and should all be prudent,well GOD that created us is watching,nemesis will descend on them all and their family,THEY CAN NEVER ESCAPE IT,IT ONLY A MATTER OF TIME,SOON SHALL THEY SEE THAT WHICH BREAKS INTO PIECES,WHAT THEN MAKE THEM KNOW THAT BREAKS INTO PIECES?IT IS THE FIRE THAT KINDLES TO BLAZE IN A FAR BOTTOMLESS PIT….SEE YOU NO MORE…….
Amen!!but Allah does’nt think lyk us dat not withstanding may d devil punish dem and if there intention is 2 make our unborn generation slaves 2 their unborn generation may their generation neva come 2 b.