At a time retired primary school teachers are being owed their entitlements, the Enugu state government is planning to provide life benefits running into billions of naira for former governors and their deputies.
The executive bill tagged, ‘Enugu State Gubernatorial Pensions Bill 2021’, covers all former governors and their deputies.
This is happening at a time when some states including Lagos and Kwara are moving to block such life benefits for ex-governors.
Interestingly, the proposed law seeks additional benefits for ex-governors as the state already has a law providing for life pension for ex-governors.
A copy of the new bill showed that it appropriates at least 900 percent of a governor’s annual salary as his monetary entitlements every year after leaving office.
Even their wives would get a share of the cake amounting to N12 million as annual medical allowance.
Provisions of the bill cover almost any possible major expenses an ex-governor can incur in his/her life, including financial responsibility for burial.
The fourth section provides for “such other gratuity or allowances as may be provided by any other law” as may be entitled to a former governor other than what was stated in the bill.
In addition to the lifetime annual basic salary (ABS) for an ex-governor, there is also a house maintenance allowance, an annual salary for five domestic staff and a vehicle allowance — each valued at 300 percent of the ABS.
This translates to 900 percent of the ABS being paid to a former governor every year.
Apart from the N12 million provided for a former governor’s wife as annual medical allowance, both ex-governor and ex-first lady will also receive free medical services until death.
There are also similar provisions for a former deputy governor who gets 200 percent of their ABS each for house allowance, vehicle allowance and annual salary for three domestic staff.
Enugu was only able to generate N12.2 billion as revenue in the first half of 2020. How much of that can take care of its four former governors and their deputies? Just how much?