The life pension fad

Many state governors have railroaded their Houses of Assembly to pass legislation to give them, their deputies and principal officers of the legislature such privileges in perpetuity. Recently, members of the National Assembly, whose outlandish remuneration is already considered to be out of tune with the economic realities of the country, completed amendment to the […]

Many state governors have railroaded their Houses of Assembly to pass legislation to give them, their deputies and principal officers of the legislature such privileges in perpetuity. Recently, members of the National Assembly, whose outlandish remuneration is already considered to be out of tune with the economic realities of the country, completed amendment to the 1999 Constitution with approval of life pension for anyone who held office as President or Vice president, Senate President or Deputy Senate President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The amended portion of the Constitution was presented as a motion on the floor of the Senate by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, for presentation to the president for assent.
The relevant clause reads: “Any person who has held office as Presidents or Deputy President of the Senate, Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall be entitled to pension for life at a rate equivalent to annual salary of the incumbent President or Deputy President of the Senate, Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, provided that such a person was not removed from office by the process of impeachment or for breach of any of the provisions of this Constitution.”
The Lagos State House of Assembly introduced a similar bill seeking to provide post-retirement benefits to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, with proposals for life pension, accommodation, security and medical cover for the two officials and their families.
The bill amends the state’s Public Office Holders Law of 2007 which already provides those benefits to past governors and their deputies.
Gombe State set the trend for such legislation in 2008; followed by Akwa Ibom in 2014. Many more states have adopted such measures, which make nonsense of the notion that the country is on cost-cutting mission in the face of dwindling revenue. One of the proposals to cut cost as contained in the federal budget for 2015 is the introduction of austerity measures. It would seem, from the position of the National Assembly, that these otherwise laudable steps were not intended to affect political office holders.
In comparison, even with the strongest and productive economies of the world, Nigerian political office holders are already over-remunerated; the introduction of the life pension for them adds to the bloat.
One of the chief arguments against lifetime payouts to politicians is that elective offices are not like civil service, in which the workers must serve continuously for 35 years or attain 60 years before they are eligible for pension, which is not much.  Pension should not be applicable politicians. As for legislators, who work for 181 days in one year in a 4-year election cycle, and the president and vice president, who hold office in the same election cycle, to get pension for life that is far in excess of what the civil service provides is disproportionate, unfair and outrageous.
Moreover, the legislation does not make distinction between, say a speaker who goes on to become governor or president; he would receive his life pension for being speaker and would qualify for another life pension when he leaves the higher office. This is the height of greed and financial imprudence and impunity that must be rolled back.
Such legislation cannot stand the test of time; sooner or later, its provisions have to be reversed or they are capable of doing the economy in. The jumbo salary political office holders currently earn should be the subject of budget cuts; not adding to them.