Obasanjo tells other Governors to emulate Alex Otti on pension law repeal

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has admonished other state governors to tow the path of Abia State Governor Alex Otti by repealing the law that allows former governors and their deputies to collect pensions.

Humongous pension payments to former political officeholders, especially governors, have been an issue of serious concern for many Nigerians due to the arbitrary nature of it.

While some states, including Lagos, have amended the law in recent times, there is still insistence from citizens for a complete abolition of the practice.

Meanwhile, Otti heeded the call when he appended his signature to a bill repealing such a law in Abia State, and that has now earned him commendations from the former President.

Obasanjo reacted to the development while speaking during a courtesy visit to the Governor at his country home in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area, on Friday, March 22, 2024.

He congratulated Otti for ending the pension to former governors and former deputy governors, which he described as daylight robbery.

“The pension scheme for former governor here is atrocious, it’s like daylight robbery because it allows them to have a house in Abuja and elsewhere and cart away with whatever they feel like carting away yet the pension for ordinary people is unpaid, what sort of leadership is that?

“And you came and you said there will be an end to that rascality. I congratulate you and I say to you that I hope that some of your colleagues will follow in your footsteps. You have started but you should never be tired.

“You will be discouraged, you will be abused, you will be called names but if we have one-third of our states doing what should be done this country will be a different country and you are doing what should be done,” Obasanjo said.

The elder statesman also passed a vote of confidence on the Governor to acknowledge his developmental strides geared towards restoring public confidence in government.

He urged Otti to pay adequate attention to infrastructural development as that would enhance the enterprise spirit of the people of that state and engender in them great trust for the government.

For his part, the Governor thanked Obasanjo for rave reviews on the pension law repeal and assured him that his administration would focus on providing infrastructure for the people of the state.

“There is not much we can do if we don’t focus on infrastructure and part of infrastructure is power. In fact, it is the most important infrastructure for industrialisation, production, manufacturing and even small and medium-scale enterprises.

“So, I want to also thank you for supporting our decision to repeal the pension law for former governors and former deputy governors. I had said yesterday as I signed the bill into law that I strongly believe that leadership is stewardship and if you come to serve the people, you can’t at the same time be fleecing the people,” Otti said.

On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, the Abia State House of Assembly passed into law, 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 Connected Therewith.’

Following the passage, Otti signed the Bill into law on Thursday.