A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Plateau State has described as ill-timed, self-serving, and inconsistent with the principles of accountable, transparent, and people-centred governance the proposed bill seeking a life pension for lawmakers in the state.

Rejecting the “Pension Allowance Bill for Former Speakers, Deputy Speakers, Principal Officers and Members of the Plateau State House of Assembly,” the coalition said a legislation creating additional lifetime financial benefits for former political office holders cannot be justified and does not reflect the aspirations or immediate needs of the people.

Also, the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the proposed bill, describing it as self-serving, insensitive, and contrary to the public interest, adding that the move was ill-timed, considering the security and economic challenges facing the state.

In a statement condemning the proposed bill, sponsored by the member representing Rukuba-Irigwe Constituency, Eli Ankala, the state PDP Publicity Secretary, Dr. Choji Dalyop, described the bill as “reckless, insensitive and a gross abuse of public trust,” alleging that it was designed to create lifetime benefits for lawmakers at the expense of the people.

According to the PDP, if passed into law, the legislation would create a dangerous precedent by turning public office into “an avenue for lifetime private enrichment rather than a platform for selfless public service.”

Meanwhile, the convener of the coalition of civil society organisations in Plateau State, Steve Aluko, said the body is particularly disturbed that the bill “passed its first and second readings on the same day without sufficient legislative scrutiny or public engagement.

“The apparent absence of a public hearing for a bill with significant fiscal implications undermines transparency, weakens public confidence in the legislative process and contradicts the principles of participatory democracy.”

Stating that Plateau State requires policies that stimulate economic growth, strengthen public services and improve the welfare of citizens rather than those prioritising “the interests of a few over the collective good,” the coalition called on the lawmakers to immediately halt consideration of the bill, make its full contents public, and subject it to a transparent public hearing.

It further urged the governor to withhold assent should the bill be transmitted in its current form.

The statement was co-signed by the Community Development and Rights Advocacy Foundation, Voice Connect Development Initiatives (VCDI), Centre for the Advocacy of Justice and Rights (CAJR), and Saphira Global Centre for Social Development, among others. (The Guardian)

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