3Coal-city Development Initiative (CDI) has condemned a bill before the Enugu state House of Assembly, proposing to place former governors, deputies, and their wives on a huge life pension, ranging from allowances to procurement of status vehicles.

 

In a statement signed by its chairman and head of publicity respectively, Kevin Odum Itodo and Henry Afam, the group noted that the bill, in its totality is an attempt to sign away the people’s commonwealth to political office holders in what looks like a self-serving politically motivated expedition.

The group called on the Enugu State House of Assembly to dispose of the bill and apologise to the people.

 

“CDI condemns both the spirit and letters of this bill in totality and urges the Enugu State House of Assembly to, not only suspend its continued proceedings as has been reported to have been done but to categorically throw out the bill and apologise to the people of Enugu State for the disservice done to their collective psyche,” they stated.

 

According to the group, any bill to further add to the expenditure portfolio of the state should not be considered a priority at this period when the state has other areas demanding attention such as rural infrastructure, pipe-borne water, state of schools as well as education and healthcare.

“We are also mindful of the fact that a lot of pensioners who served the state whether in the local or state government civil service are yet to receive their gratuities and regular pensions.

“These are people who served the state for 35 years with very paltry remunerations. Governors and their deputies only serve for eight years with humongous benefits and perks of office in addition to unfettered access to the state resources. It then bothers on sheer insensitivity to neglect the former and keep rewarding the latter,” the statement reads.

 

CDI also urged the Enugu State House of Assembly to utilise the mandate given to them to provide the necessary checks and oversight functions over the executive to ensure accountability rather than acting as an extension of the executive arm as well as a rubber-stamp for politically motivated bills.

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