ENetSuD PRAISES KWARA ASSEMBLY, GOVERNOR ON REPEAL OF OBNOXIOUS PENSION LAW FOR PAST GOVERNORS

• Urges Assembly to Immediately Amend and Pass FOI Bill

The Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD), a Kwara-based Civil Society Organization reputed for its #FollowKwaraMoney activities, has praised the 9th Kwara State House of Assembly (KWHA) ably led by Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi for the outright repeal of the Governor and Deputy Governor (Payment of Pension) Law 2010 as amended in 2018. ENetSuD also commends the Executive Governor of Kwara State (Alh. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq) for taking a bold step to sponsor the Executive Bill to repeal the obnoxious pension law in the public interest.

It will be recalled that ENetSuD initiated the advocacy for the repeal of the law in January 2020 by writing the Speaker via a letter supported by Two Hundred and Sixty-Three (263) Kwarans. “Though our request was not acted upon by the KWHA, we are pleased that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq did the needful by sponsoring an executive bill in fulfilment of his campaign promise and in consonance with the yearnings of Kwara citizens, and the result (which is the repeal of the law) has been commendably delivered by the KWHA”, ENetSuD said.

In a statement made by ENetSuD’s Coordinator (Dr. Alagbonsi Abdullateef), ENetSuD added that, though the repeal bill was an executive one, the KWHA needs to be substantially commended for the thorough legislative efforts invested in the repeal of the pension law. “The wish of the Governor to repeal the law was a mere proposal that does not necessarily translate into the actual repeal unless it was supported by the majority of the members of the KWHA. We have the law repealed today because the legislators supported it, and we give the credit of the repeal to the legislators, while appreciating the Governor for proposing it”, Alagbonsi added.

Alagbonsi, therefore, reminded the legislators of the 9th KWHA that any action or inaction on legislative matters will be solely counted for or against them. “We are in a Presidential system of Government where there is a clear demarcation between the powers and functions of the executive and legislature. Our system of government has clearly given independence to, and separated powers between, the arms of government, and the public is well-informed to know that the executive cannot be blamed for the faults of the legislature, and vice-versa”, he mentioned.

ENetSuD told the legislators that the non-domestication of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in the state yet is 100% the fault of the legislature, as the Governor had absolved himself by taking action within the 30 days required by the Nigerian constitution to either assent, decline or request for amendment. “It is exactly 556 days that the request of the Governor to the KWHA for minor amendment on the FOI bill was read in the plenary by the Speaker. Why it has taken the KWHA such a long time without any action yet on the required minor amendment on the bill is unknown to Kwara citizens and suggesting that the KWHA is anti-transparency”, ENetSuD stated.

While commending the KWHA for the total repeal of the Governor and Deputy Governor (Payment of Pension) Law 2010 as amended, ENetSuD, again, urges the Danladi-led 9th KWHA to immediately conclude their legislative actions on the pending FOI bill and pass it into law for the use of Kwarans to promote transparency, accountability and probity, especially on public fund spending by the past, present and future administrations in the State.

Signed,
Usman Radhiyyat Taiye (Mrs),
Deputy Coordinator (Administration),
Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD),
29/1/2021