Zamfara state Governor, Bello Matawalle has assured that the money saved from the repealed pensions law would be put to good use.
According to him, the fund would be invested into youth empowerment and development of infrastructure in the state.
Matawalle gave the assurance on Wednesday while assenting to the repealed law.
The law which was enacted during the last administration had entitled former governors, deputy governors and speakers of the state House of Assembly to pensions and upkeep allowances from the state coffers running close to a billion Naira annually.
Matawalle, who condemned the law, said it was hurriedly passed by the immediate past administration of the state without taking into cognisance the social and economic realities of the state.
He disclosed that the former Gov. Abdulaziz Yari paid himself over N300 million as severance just before he left office.
He said his administration would only pay allowances as provided by the Revenue and Fiscal Mobilization Commission.
The pension saga came into limelight following a letter written by the former governor, Yari and addressed to the incumbent demanding payment of his outstanding pension of N10m a month.
He claimed that he had been paid for only two since leaving office.
He warned the governor that he did not have the powers to decide not to pay him as the payment was provided for under the law.
“I was shocked when I received a letter from former governor Yari for the payment of the money that the failure of which I learned, the former governor threatened my administration with a court case.
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“I called a meeting with my deputy as well as the speaker of the state House of Assembly and we all agreed that we do not have any interest in such retirement allowance.
“Although the immediate past administration in the state left behind pensions liabilities of local government workers, primary school teachers and state civil servants amounting to about N10 billion, apart from other liabilities such as promotion benefits, workers annual increment and the rest which have put the state in a terrible financial quagmire, the immediate past governor Yari is requesting the state government to pay him a whooping amount of N120 million annually, made up of a monthly upkeep allowance of N10 million.
“The ex-governor who recently wrote to the state government in this regard, was also under the repealed law supposed to be collecting the exact amount he was collecting as his monthly salary while as governor which should continue for him for life as his pension.
“In addition to these, he is supposed to get two vehicles to be bought by the State Government and replaceable after every four years; Free medical treatment for former Governor and his immediate families and vacation within Nigeria and outside.
“Thirty days vacation within Nigeria or outside Nigeria and a 5-bedroom house in any location of the choice of the former Governor within the country,” he said.
Matawalle further disclosed that the law also extended similar largess to the former Deputy Governors, former Speakers of the State Assembly, and former Deputy Speakers.
“If allowed thus, it will overstretch the lean resources of the state at a time when the same people who were supposed to pay the meagre amount as pensions to retired civil servants refused to do so and handed them over as liabilities to the present administration,” Matawalle noted.
The governor, stressed that his administration would focus more on matters of state development and the wellbeing of its citizens and charged past leaders to be selfless and work with him in charting a new course for the state.
