A Nigerian lawyer, Barr. Terhemen Oscar Aorabee-Gagajav, has raised concerns over a proposed life pension bill for former governors and deputy governors in Benue State, Nigeria. The outgoing government of Governor Samuel Ortom is responsible for presenting the bill titled “A Bill for a Law to make Provisions for the Maintenance of Former Governors of the State and their Deputies and for Other Matters Connected Thereto” to the Benue State House of Assembly.

Aorabee-Gagajav has criticized the proposed life pension bill, describing it as outrageous, ridiculous, and economy-crippling. He urged that the bill must not be passed into law as it will impoverish workers and other people of the state and cripple the state’s economy. Furthermore, he described the bill as a pension scam.

The proposed life pension bill, according to Aorabee-Gagajav, is to have a retroactive effect, which means it will cover former governors and their deputies, including Senator George Akume and the late Ogiri Ajene; Senator Gabriel Suswam and Steven Lawani; Dr. Samuel Ortom and Engr. Benson Abounu, from 1999. The bill will provide the following benefits to former governors and deputy governors:

Section 2(a)(i) makes provision for the payment of a monthly stipend equivalent to the salary of a sitting governor to former governors.

Section 2(a)(ii) makes provision for the payment of a monthly stipend equivalent to the salary of a sitting deputy governor to all former deputy governors.

Section 2(b) provides for the building of permanent residential accommodation in any town of their choice by the state in Nigeria.

Sections 2(c) and (h) provide for the provision of four new cars every four years for former governors and two new cars every four years for former deputy governors. Their cars shall be serviced and maintained at the expense of the state.

Section 2(d) and (e) provide for six personal staff for former governors and three for former deputy governors to be paid for by the state.

Section 2(f) provides for 24-hour security surveillance and guard for all former governors and their deputies at their direction.

Section 2(g) provides for free medical treatment for them, their spouses, and at least four children under the age of 18.

Section 3 provides that all the above expenses can be monetized or cashed out.

Section 4 entitles former governors to two vacations abroad annually, and the former deputy governor to one vacation abroad.

All entitlements provided for in the proposed life pension bill are for life, and the expenses are to be charged on the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state, which means that they are on First Line Charge and take priority against other expenses like salaries, pensions, and gratuity of the citizen. Furthermore, all the entitlements except the vacation can be converted into cash and paid out.

Aorabee-Gagajav’s critical review of the proposed life pension bill shows that Section 1 of the bill makes it have a retroactive effect, which means that it will be backdated to cover all governors and their deputies democratically elected since 1999. If allowed to be passed, the state will be owing Governors Akume and Suswan with their Deputies all the entitlements provided for in the bill.

Aorabee-Gagajav also noted that the monthly stipends to be paid to the beneficiaries, apart from being for life and backdated, calculated, and monetized, are capable of totally crippling the State Treasury and Economy. The monthly salary of a sitting governor, comprising allowances, etc., is N11,540,896, while the monthly basic salary of a sitting governor is N2,223,794.