Governor-elect rejects life pension plan by incumbent

A campaign to block a life pension plan by outgoing Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has been launched.

It was initiated yesterday by governor-elect Fr. Hyacinth Alia, who kicked against a Life Pension Bill about to be sent by the governor to the House of Assembly for consideration.

The governor-elect called all citizens of conscience to prevail on their representatives in the House of Assembly to reject the such bill when forwarded to them.

Passing such a bill, the governor-elect noted, will deepen the despondency of the state, he said.

Alia’s opposition to the bill was contained in a statement by his Director of Communications, Tersoo Kula, who gave an insight into the content of the bill.

The bill, according to the statement, stipulates that after May 29, Ortom should be allowed to go with some choice properties of government in his possession as his post-service package.

The statement reads: “According to the bill, Governor Ortom should be built a mansion of his taste in any part of the country he chooses to stay after leaving the Government House.

“His medical trips with those of his family members should be paid by the state, in addition to a jumbo monthly pay package.”

According to Kula, the lawmakers have given a condition to the governor before they will take action on the bill believed to be more in Ortom’s interest.

“Is it not appalling that Ortom, who has throughout his time as governor treated pensioners with utmost barratry that slides most of them to destitution, now wants to be a pensioner?”, the statement asked.

But the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Wuese Orshi, debunked the insinuations, describing it as mischievous.

He said: “I have seen such a publication but so far, as I know, the Ninth House of Assembly is not in receipt of such a bill. I have not bothered to respond to such mischievous publication because it bothers more on the governor and so, I have left it for his media handlers to either respond or ignore it.”

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