Zamfara Pension bill irks lawmaker

The plan by the Zamfara House of Assembly to amend the pension bill to make better pension for governors, speakers and their deputies has irked a lawmaker.

Alhaji Bello S-Fagon, representing Anka Constituency, urged the house to reject the bill, describing it as “unfair”.

S-Fagon argued that it was not sincere for the assembly to provide a bill to give former governors, speakers and their deputies huge amounts of money after their services.

“We should know the resources of the state belong to people of the state,” he said.

He implored the lawmakers to know that the state was practicing Islamic Legal System and “we all know Islam does not allow injustice, and this is injustice”.

He said if there were leaders that meritoriously deserved such benefit, it would first be the house of assembly members before any other person.

The assembly at its plenary on Friday, chaired by the Speaker, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, urged members to accelerate the first and second reading of the bill.

Moving the motion, the Leader of the house, Alhaji Isah Abdulmumin, said the bill was enacted by the assembly over five years, therefore it needed to be amended.

Abdulmumin urged the house to agree with the motion, considering its importance in rewarding the leaders who served the state.

The Speaker urged Mr S-Fagon to go and study the bill very well before coming to the chamber to contribute to such an important matter.

The Speaker then directed the Clerk of the house, Alhaji Bayero Anka, to give the bill its first and second reading, to fast track the process.

He also set up a five-man ad hoc committee, led by the leader of the house and directed the members to submit reports in the next two weeks.

During the sitting, the assembly also received a report on the 2017 Financial Account from the Auditor General of the state.

The report was presented by the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of House Committee on Public Accounts, Alhaji Muhammad Abubukar Gummi.

The assembly began its recess after the deliberations to resume on Jan. 15, 2019.

(NAN)