By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Abia House of Assembly has passed into law a bill to repeal the Abia state governors and deputy governors’ pensions Law No 4 of 2001 that legalised the payment of pension and gratuity to former governors and their deputies.
The Bill which is awaiting the assent of the governor of the state, Alex Otti was sponsored by the Majority Leader and Member Representing Arochukwu State Constituency, Hon. Okoro Uchenna Kalu.
The passage of the Bill came after it had scaled the first and second readings including the committee stage.
According to the Abia Assembly speaker, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, the Bill when assented to by the governor would be deemed to have come into effect from March 19.
Hon. Emeruwa explained that the Bill would now be known as “Abia State Governors and Deputy Governor’s (Repeal) Law 2024”, adding that the Bill would amongst other merits ensure that what he described as the outrageous cost of governance would be reduced to channel Abia State resources towards the development of the state.
The law also entertained H.A.B 10: A Bill for a Law to Establish the Abia State Cocoa Development and Marketing Board Bill 2024, Sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Augustin Okezie passed its first reading.
The House further passed for its second reading H.A.B 9: A Bill for a Law to Establish Colleges of Nursing Sciences Owned by Faith-Based and Private Establishments in Abia State and for other related purposes.
The Bill which is sponsored by the Chief Whip of the house, Hon. Emeka Obioma representing Umuahia South state constituency was committed to the House Committee on Health which was mandated to conduct a public hearing on the Bill and to revert to the house in a month for further legislative actions.
In a reply to the decision of the Abia lawmakers, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, Onyebuchi Ememanka said: “The attention of the immediate Past Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has been drawn to reports circulating online to the effect that the Abia State House of Assembly has repealed the 2001 Law under which former Governors and Deputy Governors are paid some money as pension
“The said reports, which are obviously sponsored, are mischievously couched to give the false impression that Dr Ikpeazu is amongst former Governors of the State currently receiving a pension from the Abia State Government
“Dr Okezie Ikpeazu wishes to make it abundantly clear that since after handing over the reins of power as Governor of Abia state on May 29th, 2023, he has neither requested for, nor received from the Abia State Government, any dime under any guise whatsoever, and has no intentions of doing so.
“Former Governor Ikpeazu has since moved on with his life and is currently engaged in other areas of interest to him and advises the Abia State Government and her various organs to face the business of governance and desist from engaging in needless media sensationalism.”