By Adewale Kupoluyi
After much pressure and criticisms from virtually all quarters, it is a welcome development that the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio has finally sent a bill to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, requesting that the controversial Pension Act, which fixed the amount former governors and their deputies in his state could be spent annually on medical expenses, be expunged and reverted to status quo ante. The u-turn by Governor Akpabio is nothing but a serious indictment on the legislators and the legislature as an institution.
The bill, which was initially sent to the state House of Assembly, was hurriedly and unprofessionally passed into law despite public outcry that greeted it. Titled: “Akwa Ibom State Governors and Deputy Governors Pension Act, 2014”, it provides that the governor and his wife should access annual medical services at a sum not exceeding N100 million or an equivalent of $600,000 and for the deputy governor and his/her spouse N30 million or an equivalent of $200,000. Many people believe that the lawmakers might have been compromised before hurriedly passing the bill for a number of reasons. Firstly, the excuse given by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Sam Ikon was unconvincing. His argument can be faulted in that no matter how rich a person can be, he/she could still be corrupt if he/she chooses to, because those accused of graft cannot be said to be poor. Rather, attitudinal change, appropriate punishment and societal stigmatization of corrupt persons could be a way out.
Secondly, approving such unjustifiable and colossal sums of money for a few persons from the public purse is not only unfair but a destructive path to depleting the state’s finances meaning that the bill would not have been rejected if it was not selective but beneficial to all strata of elected public officials, civil servants and judicial officials that had served for an upward period of 35 years and needed to be taken care of by the time they leave office unlike the very few governors or deputy governors.
Chapter VI of the 1999 Constitution stipulates that “pensions shall be reviewed every five years or together with any Federal Civil Service salary reviews, whichever is earlier” while Section 31 also empowers the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to “determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders including President, Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors”. So, why this clear departure by Akwa Ibom alongside other states like Lagos, Rivers, Gombe, Kebbi and Imo have decided to toe the same line of protecting the interest of the privilege few at the expense of many Nigerians that there are supposed to serve?
Over the years, the astronomical increase in the remunerations of political office holders has been a subject of concern with the loud call for a drastic cut in such jumbo package amid the country’s fragile economy. Recently, The Economist gave a damning report that a Nigerian legislator receives an annual salary of about $189,000 (about N30 million) while their counterparts in Britain earn about $105,400 yearly, United States ($174,000), France ($85,900), Bangladesh ($4,000) and Israel ($114,800). Similarly, a renowned constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN) had once alleged that the Senate President’s office collected a whopping sum of N88 million per month, a senator took home about N45 million while a member of the House of Representatives, earned a mouth-watering N28 million per quarter!
The Nigerian parliament – all in the bid to give the vague impression of being thorough – have acquired notoriety for triggering avoidable stand-off with the executive especially in the passage of annual budgets. Though, they are constitutionally expected to carry out oversight functions, most of their actions appear to be laced with semblance of selfishness and abuse of legislative powers. While some of our lawmakers and legislative houses are known to be diligent and above board in terms of the soundness and quality of their debates, majority of them have become mere rubber-stamp of the executive. This is unhealthy for our polity. Many lawmakers seem to be oblivious of the enormous powers conferred upon them by the constitution. This is the intelligent rationale behind the doctrine of checks and balances, as espoused by the French philosopher, Baron de Montesquieu in highly cerebral publication, The Spirit of Laws, where he had advocated for the separation of powers.
We should collectively appreciate that the essence of democracy would be defeated if our law makers continue to act like lawbreakers. The respect they should be accorded appears to be declining by the day. Legislative summons are still being ignored at will. Their conduct and carriage of some of them could also be discouraging. There is, therefore, an urgent need for a complete and systemic transformation of the legislature. It is due to these unpleasant complaints that have spurred the renewed call that the country should adopt part-time and unicameral legislature. Our parliament should sit-up and really be the hallowed chamber that is truly independent of the tempting, over-bearing and manipulative influence of the executive.
