The Zamafara State Government has said outgoing governor, Bello Matawalle, will not be receiving humongous retirement benefit as the law has been repelled in the state.
This was said by the media consultancy firm of the governor in reaction to report being circulated in the media that the governor alongside 16 others will be receiving monetary pensions, houses in choice locations as well as luxury vehicles.
According to the report, Governors Nyesom Wike, Ifeanyi Okowa, Udom Emmanuel, Abdullahi Ganduje, Badaru Abubakar, Bello Matawalle, Ben Ayade, Okezie Ikpeazu and David Umahi of Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Cross River, Abia and Ebonyi states are set to benefit from generous retirement/pension benefits.
Others outgoing governors who will benefit from the largesse are Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Samuel Ortom, Darius Ishaku, Abubakar Bello, Abubakar Bagudu, Nasir El-Rufai, Simon Lalong, Aminu Masari and Aminu Tambuwal of Enugu, Benue, Taraba, Niger, Kebbi, Kaduna, Plateau, Katsina and Sokoto states, respectively.
Refuting the report, the firm in a release sent to SaharaReporters described the report as misleading stating that Matawalle had in 2019 repealed the law in the state.
In the said publication, the media outfit cited
“The ‘Grant of Pension to Governor or Deputy Governor (Amendment Law), 2006” which made provision for pension and other benefits to former governors. It provided pension for life equivalent to the salary of the incumbent, two personal staff members, two vehicles replaceable every four years, two drivers, free medical for former governors, their deputies and their immediate family members in Nigeria or abroad.
“A little research would have revealed to the editorial board of the Punch Newspaper that the law was repealed in 2019 by Governor Bello Muhammed Matawalle.
“The Zamfara State House of Assembly repealed the law and Governor Matawalle promptly assented to the bill in November 2019,” the statement reads.
Checks revealed that Matawalle had in November 2019 assented to the law prohibiting former government officials from receiving huge pensions.
The governor, while signing the bill into law, said the allowances will be “used to build the teeming unemployed youths in the state”.
