Trade Union Congress (TUC) said at the weekend it would mobilise against the Bayelsa State House of Assembly if the lawmakers continue their push to place the state governor, deputy and members of the house on life pension via a bill currently being considered by the house.
The new bill being considered, if passed by the house, would repeal existing pensions for governor and deputy governor law, which has been in force since of 2003, as would capture the lawmakers as beneficiaries of life pension.
“The TUC sees this development as an insult and a deliberate attempt to widen the scope of fraudulent activities by politicians in the state. Such obnoxious and self-centered bill started with some states years ago. Unfortunately, the number is increasing. This is peak of irresponsibility that cannot be allowed to persist whether the bill is given expedited passage on the floor of the house or not.
The TUC in a statement issued on Sunday and signed Bobboi Kaigama and Musa Lawal, president and general secretary, respectively, wondered how the Bayelsa lawmakers could come up with such a bill at a time retirees who have served the country for 35 years were dying at verification centres across the country.
“Many of them cannot even afford drugs to take care of their age-related sicknesses. Yet politicians who served for just four years are placing themselves on life pension. We are calling on the Bayelsa State legislature and other states nursing such idea to drop it forthwith, as we shall not leave any stone unturned in our fight for good governance and accountability,” the union warned.
JOSHUA BASSEY
