Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq will next week send a bill to the State House of Assembly requesting the lawmakers to immediately repeal the law awarding pension packages to former governors and former deputy governors.
“The Governor has listened to voices of the majority of the citizens opposing the pension law for former governors and deputy governors. In line with his campaign mantra and as a product of democracy himself, he will be sending a bill to the House of Assembly next week requesting them to repeal the law,” according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Rafiu Ajakaye.
“As representatives of the people, the lawmakers would exercise their discretion to call a public hearing on the topic to further harvest wider opinions on the topic. However, the Governor feels it is time for the law as it is to give way. He would rather the state commits the scarce public funds to tackling the question of poverty and youth unemployment.”
Meanwhile, AbdulRazaq has appointed an 11-person committee to verify claims submitted by victims of the recent looting of private properties in Ilorin, determine the extent of their losses and disburse government’s support for them.
The committee is to be chaired by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi, with other members drawn mainly from the academia, civil society, and representatives of the shop owners and the Kwara State Chambers of Commerce.
The members are: Mary Stephen Bako (chambers of commerce); Fatti Binta Dikko (ENETSUD); top businessman Gbenle Adeyemi; Dr Hellen Olaifa of the University of Ilorin; retired teacher Mrs Deborah Kashi Job; representative of the Department of State Security; Bola Olojoku (Mekunu Forum Agenda); community leader Habeeb Lawal Ajibola; Ahmed Lawal (representative of the shop owners); and Anchor Person of the Kwara State Social Investment Programme Mohammed Brimah (Secretary).
The committee would work with insurance adjusters already engaged to conduct professional evaluation of the losses in line with global best practices.
At least 342 persons have filed various claims to the government to benefit from the N500m SME recovery funds that the Governor recently announced to support businesses affected in the looting spree.
By Aisha Hameed
