• Condemns ‘sponsored’ media campaign against legislation
By VIVIAN ONYEBUKWA Following misconceptions trailing the recently
amended pension law for former governors and ex-deputy governors of
Akwa Ibom State, Governor Godswill Akpabio has requested the House of
Assembly to repeal the legislation.
The House of Assembly last week passed the amended pension bill,
which pegged the medical expenses of former governors and their spouses,
which the government could pay, at N50 million each, while the ceiling
for medical expenses for former deputy governors and their wives is N25
million each. The governor, a few days after the passage of the amended
law, which has been in existence for 16 years, assented to it.
In a statement he read yesterday in Lagos, Governor Akpabio said that the government, after considering the misinformation orchestrated by the opposition in the state, has sent a bill to the Assembly requesting that the section of the pension law, which pegged the amount former governors and their spouses as well as former deputy governors and their wives could spend annually on medical bills at N100 million and N50 million respectively be expunged and revert to the status quo.
Akpabio said: “It is my hope that with the excision of these sections from the amendment, the agents of falsehood would lift their siege on truth and not distract the good people of this state from the task of the uncommon transformation of our dear state. Let them remember that I am not a governorship candidate. Instead of firing brickbats at me, let them tell the good people of Akwa Ibom State their plans for Akwa Ibom State.”
The governor stated also: “Because of the sponsored media comments and misinformation of the members of the public on the good intentions of the Pension Act by the few opposition elements in the state, and because this government is a product of the people, we have, as a government, decided to forward a request to the House that those areas, which the opposition have capitalised on to misinform the people, be expunged and the former law that had been in existence be made to remain the law.”
According to Akpabio, “in the last few weeks, truth has come under siege by agents of falsehood in Akwa Ibom State. The good people of Akwa Ibom State have been unfortunately subjected to the cruelest and most unkind political gimmickry in the history of our state over the amendment of a 16-year-old law. This tidal wave of propaganda, misinformation, lies, mischief and cynicism, we fear, may already have sucked in some unsuspecting members of the public who lack the ability to appreciate the salient points of this law and its ennobling attributes.”
Akpabio explained the pension law was first enacted in 1998 “as the Special Grant (Former Chief Executives) Edict. It was amended in 1999 by the Special Grant (Former Chief Executives (Amendment) Edict of 1999) and was retained in Cap. 122 Laws of Akwa Ibom State 2000. It was amended in 2002 by the Governors and Deputy Governors Pension Law 2002, which was later repealed by the Governors and Deputy Governors Pension Law 2006 assented to by my predecessor in office on April 26, 2007.”
He stated that while implementing, “we noticed a lacuna in the 2007 law, particularly on account of its open-endedness in the provisions relating to the medical expenses and provision of funds for the employment of domestic staff for the former governors and deputy governors and working with the House of Assembly, we sought to protect the law from abuse by putting a ceiling on the medical expenses for the treatment of these senior citizens of Akwa Ibom State. The ceiling, which was pegged at N100 million per annum for former governors and N50 million per annum for former deputy governors, was never meant to be given either in part or in whole to anybody at anytime for any reason. It was meant to be paid to health institutions involved in the treatment of the former governors or former deputy governors and their spouses. It was, therefore, deliberate falsehood and organised misinformation to claim that the said money will be paid to former governors or deputy governors every year. This has never been the practice and the amendment has added nothing to give credence to this obviously politicized orchestration.”
Former governors and deputy governors and their spouses who were not sick, Akpabio noted, “were not to receive a dime from the fund. These sums, which were for the governors and the deputy governors’ medical treatment, suffered the most bashing from a mischievous vocal minority who sought to reap political capital out of it. In their frenzied desperation, they even claimed that the law was made for my personal benefit. They lost sight of the fact that I am not among the beneficiaries as I am not on pension.”
Akpabio condemned the media attack on members of the House, saying: “I reject in its entirety the unwarranted condemnation of this altruistic amendment. I am deeply saddened by the vilification of the honourable members of the House of Assembly for undertaking a course of action, which we as a state, we should applaud. Truth has been under siege and today, I have decided that we should lift this evil siege by proposing to the House of Assembly that the parts of the amendment putting a N100 million ceiling and a N50 million ceiling on the medical treatment of former governors and former deputy governors respectively be expunged from the amendment.”
In a statement he read yesterday in Lagos, Governor Akpabio said that the government, after considering the misinformation orchestrated by the opposition in the state, has sent a bill to the Assembly requesting that the section of the pension law, which pegged the amount former governors and their spouses as well as former deputy governors and their wives could spend annually on medical bills at N100 million and N50 million respectively be expunged and revert to the status quo.
Akpabio said: “It is my hope that with the excision of these sections from the amendment, the agents of falsehood would lift their siege on truth and not distract the good people of this state from the task of the uncommon transformation of our dear state. Let them remember that I am not a governorship candidate. Instead of firing brickbats at me, let them tell the good people of Akwa Ibom State their plans for Akwa Ibom State.”
The governor stated also: “Because of the sponsored media comments and misinformation of the members of the public on the good intentions of the Pension Act by the few opposition elements in the state, and because this government is a product of the people, we have, as a government, decided to forward a request to the House that those areas, which the opposition have capitalised on to misinform the people, be expunged and the former law that had been in existence be made to remain the law.”
According to Akpabio, “in the last few weeks, truth has come under siege by agents of falsehood in Akwa Ibom State. The good people of Akwa Ibom State have been unfortunately subjected to the cruelest and most unkind political gimmickry in the history of our state over the amendment of a 16-year-old law. This tidal wave of propaganda, misinformation, lies, mischief and cynicism, we fear, may already have sucked in some unsuspecting members of the public who lack the ability to appreciate the salient points of this law and its ennobling attributes.”
Akpabio explained the pension law was first enacted in 1998 “as the Special Grant (Former Chief Executives) Edict. It was amended in 1999 by the Special Grant (Former Chief Executives (Amendment) Edict of 1999) and was retained in Cap. 122 Laws of Akwa Ibom State 2000. It was amended in 2002 by the Governors and Deputy Governors Pension Law 2002, which was later repealed by the Governors and Deputy Governors Pension Law 2006 assented to by my predecessor in office on April 26, 2007.”
He stated that while implementing, “we noticed a lacuna in the 2007 law, particularly on account of its open-endedness in the provisions relating to the medical expenses and provision of funds for the employment of domestic staff for the former governors and deputy governors and working with the House of Assembly, we sought to protect the law from abuse by putting a ceiling on the medical expenses for the treatment of these senior citizens of Akwa Ibom State. The ceiling, which was pegged at N100 million per annum for former governors and N50 million per annum for former deputy governors, was never meant to be given either in part or in whole to anybody at anytime for any reason. It was meant to be paid to health institutions involved in the treatment of the former governors or former deputy governors and their spouses. It was, therefore, deliberate falsehood and organised misinformation to claim that the said money will be paid to former governors or deputy governors every year. This has never been the practice and the amendment has added nothing to give credence to this obviously politicized orchestration.”
Former governors and deputy governors and their spouses who were not sick, Akpabio noted, “were not to receive a dime from the fund. These sums, which were for the governors and the deputy governors’ medical treatment, suffered the most bashing from a mischievous vocal minority who sought to reap political capital out of it. In their frenzied desperation, they even claimed that the law was made for my personal benefit. They lost sight of the fact that I am not among the beneficiaries as I am not on pension.”
Akpabio condemned the media attack on members of the House, saying: “I reject in its entirety the unwarranted condemnation of this altruistic amendment. I am deeply saddened by the vilification of the honourable members of the House of Assembly for undertaking a course of action, which we as a state, we should applaud. Truth has been under siege and today, I have decided that we should lift this evil siege by proposing to the House of Assembly that the parts of the amendment putting a N100 million ceiling and a N50 million ceiling on the medical treatment of former governors and former deputy governors respectively be expunged from the amendment.”
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