Ex-governors’ pension: Lagos Assembly won’t act like Zamfara —Spokesperson

Lagos State House of Assembly says it will not repeal the
state’s pension law permitting former governors and other public
office holders to receive huge pensions from state coffers.

Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Mr. Tunde
Braimoh, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday that Lagos
Assembly would not go the way of the Zamfara Assembly which
recently repealed pension law for its former governors.

NAN recalls that a Federal High Court in Lagos had ordered the
Federal Government to recover pensions collected by former
governors now serving as ministers and members of the National
Assembly.

The court also directed the Attorney General of the Federation,
Mr. Abubakar Malami, to challenge the legality of states’ pension
laws permitting former governors and other ex-public officials to
receive huge pensions while drawing normal salaries and allowances
in their new political offices.

Braimoh faulted the court ruling, noting that, as long as the
law does not contravene the Constitution, state assemblies have the
right to make laws for the benefit of the society in which they
operate.

According to him, separation of powers as enshrined in the
Constitution empowers the legislature to make laws, the executive
to implement and the judiciary to interpret the laws.

“The Supreme Court had made it clear several times that no arm
of government can repeal the constitutional provisions of another
arm of government.

“Therefore, legislators make laws that are in tune with the
yearnings and dynamics of their society.

“Until another legislature comes to alter, review or amend the
law, the law is meant to be obeyed.

“The judiciary cannot pronounce that a law by the state is
unconstitutional unless such state law is contradictory to the
Constitution,” the lawmaker said.

Braimoh said he was not aware of any law that restricts state
assemblies from making laws for the provision of welfare package
for former governors and public office holders. (NAN)

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