By Igbotako Nowinta
It ridicules reason and offends commonsense that these opportunistic politicians developed selfish and diabolical interest, uncontrollable impulse to amass wealth in tandem with their oversize ambitions of recycling themselves now and then within the polity. Most amazingly, shockingly and reprehensibly, this annoying pension allocation for ex-Governors, ex-Speakers and their deputies has stayed for too long. This is In spite of the fact that there exists a statutory provision by the Revenue Mobilization And Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) of up to 300 percent severance fee for the Governors as stated in ‘Certain Political Office Holders & Judicial Officers Remuneration Act,’ including free holidays, free medical treatment, etc. It is a perfect case of riding roughshod over the people in the name of democratic governance. For me it is an over kill like using a sledge hammer against the people, after acquiring billions of dollars for four years, or in most cases eight year, the ex-political leaders, then graduate into drawing endless remunerations from the lean pit of our Commonwealth.
Dialectically, the underdevelopment of Nigeria has been dissected, and the heinous role of the political camp in this utter disaster is nothing but mind boggling.
The rate at which our commonwealth has been subjected to stark violence, as a result of the way the political class has brazenly and recklessly mismanaged our financial resources, most especially since May 1999, is seething and disgusting.
In spite of our vast natural endowments/resources, and being the most populated black nation in the world, Nigeria regrettably lacks commensurate development because it has been run aground by corrupt political class.
Dialectically, one cannot rule out the satanic mishandling of our Commonwealth by the ruthless military usurpers in Nigeria, like the Ibrahim Babangidas, Sani Abachas, Abdusalam Abubakars, and the cruel profligacy entrenched during the First and Second Republics.
The conjuring or smuggling of pension clauses into our statutory laws in most states of the federation, which has been benefiting selected ex-political office holders, is something that one cannot comprehend when majority of our people are wallowing in the terrible ocean of deprivations and poverty.
It is in this regard that the patriotic display by the law makers in Zamfara State recently, seems to me the greatest news so far in 2019 because they succeeded to bring down the mountain of financial wastages being enjoyed by ex-political leaders via the scrapping of the anti-people’s law in that state.
It is heart wrenching to know that the immediate past Governor of Zamfara State, Yari was actually warming up to collect his monthly pension of 10 million naira, along with other goodies, before the legislators swiftly swung into action by repealing the vexed pension law.
The fact of the matter is that there are many types and characters like ex-Governor Yari today who represent towering fountains of waste and decay, embezzling state scarce resources via the back door using pension allowances.
This bunch of ex-political office holders constitute serious obstacles to development on a scale grievous and undreamt of. The scrapping of anti-people’s law in Zamfara is a welcome development.
At a time of grim economic recession, such as majority of Nigerians are encountering today, this arbitrary and capricious pension law for a very tiny category of ex-political office holders must be thrown overboard across the country without delay.
The law is adding misery to the lives of our people, most especially pensioners and other civil servants who are receiving staggered salaries or no salary at all in most cases within the country.
It ridicules reason and offends commonsense that these opportunistic politicians developed selfish and diabolical interest, uncontrollable impulse to amass wealth in tandem with their oversize ambitions of recycling themselves now and then within the polity.
Most amazingly, shockingly and reprehensibly, this annoying pension allocation for ex-Governors, ex-Speakers and their deputies has stayed for too long.
This is In spite of the fact that there exists a statutory provision by the Revenue Mobilization And Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) of up to 300 percent severance fee for the Governors as stated in ‘Certain Political Office Holders & Judicial Officers Remuneration Act,’ including free holidays, free medical treatment, etc.
It is a perfect case of riding roughshod over the people in the name of democratic governance. For me it is an over kill like using a sledge hammer against the people, after acquiring billions of dollars for four years, or in most cases eight year, the ex-political leaders, then graduate into drawing endless remunerations from the lean pit of our Commonwealth.
What a crime, what an affront! For me, these pension allowances represent another way of keeping the corruption tap running uncontrollably. As a poison to our peace this infectious greed has greatly decimated our people.
It is the reason why President Muhammadu Buhari should send an Executive Bill in this direction to the National Assembly for the purpose of putting a law in place ultimately to abrogate this abominable pension law in Nigeria.
In doing this President Buhari would be winning more ready-made converts to his much loved national anti-corruption campaign. My Comrade and long-time friend, Barrister Femi Falana has even suggested that instead of hanging death penalty for ‘hate speech,’ death penalty should be canvassed for ‘corruption.’
This pulling of the wool over the eyes of helpless Nigerians to extract undeserved political favor after office, is a criminal class conspiracy that rules the affairs of Nigerians; it is simply a story of horror, of how the country elite became blood-sucking vultures and soulless maggots.
Nowinta Igbotako wrote: Where we are – A call for democratic revolution in Nigeria.
