Abia Assembly Eliminates Ikpeazu’s Life Pension and Others
With the passage of the measure by the State Assembly eliminating the pensions and other benefits of past governors and deputy governors, efforts to reduce the cost of government in Abia State have reached new heights.
Former governors like as Okezie Ikpeazu, T.A. Orji, and Orji Uzor Kalu will presumably no longer be eligible for pensions and other benefits.
However, Alex Otti, the state governor, must approve the law.
Shortly after Tuesday’s plenary, Uchenna Okoro, the House Member for Arochukwu State Constituency, disclosed the situation.
The member for Arochukwu State Constituency, Kalu, sponsored the bill, “H.A.B 11: a Bill for a Law to Repeal the Abia State Governors & Deputy Governors Pensions Law No 4 of 2001 and for Other Matters.”
The goal of the law that was reduced back in its first, second, and third readings is to stop the State from making “outrageous” expenditures on former governors and their deputies.
The legislator expressed happiness over the bill’s passing and stated that it was consistent with the governor Otti-led administration’s goal of bringing down the cost of state government.
During an interview with, Kalu clarified that while previous governors receive monthly benefits worth billions of dollars, retirees who served the state for years are still having difficulty receiving their pensions.
“We did not amend the bill; rather, we completely scrapped it,” said Kalu. The law concerns former governors who served four years in office but are no longer in active duty getting pensions and other benefits.
“We have to remove it since the state pays them every month. Thus, it is no longer valid. Simply go for home after your term is up because you will not be receiving any compensation.
“We cannot allow past governors and their deputies to pocket billions of dollars that should be used for state development and paying civil servants, while there are backlogs of pensioners who are not receiving payments and people in active service who are not getting paid.”
Remember how Otti claimed to have acquired unpaid pension and salary arrears from both active and retired state employees?
H.A.B. 10, or the “Bill for A Law to Establish the State Cocoa Development and Marketing Board Bill 2024,” was another measure that was brought before the house.
The Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Augustin Okezie, sponsored the measure, which was approved on the house floor for its first reading.
The Assembly Members were successful in passing the measure into law.
The “Bill for a Law to Establish Colleges of Nursing Sciences Owned by Faith-Based and Private Establishments in Abia State and for other related purposes,” or H.A.B 9, was another item that the State Assembly discussed.
The measure, which was supported by House Chief Whip Hon. Emeka Obioma (Umuahia South), cleared the house on its second reading, according to Hon. Kalu.
“The bill was committed to the House Committee on Health, which was directed to hold a public hearing on the Bill and report back to the house for further legislative actions in one month,” he continued.
