Irked by former governor Abdul’aziz Yari’s demand for his N10 million “monthly upkeep”, the Zamfara House of Assembly on Tuesday abolished a law that authorizes the payment of pension and other allowances for state’s former governors and their deputies.
The spokesperson of the state’s assembly, Mustapha Jafaru in a statement said the abolished law also affects ex-speakers of the house of assembly and their deputies.
The bill will now be sent to the governor for his assent, he said.
“With this development, all past political leaders in Zamfara will longer enjoy any entitlements unless those prescribed by the national revenue mobilisation allocation and fiscal commission,” Mr Jafaru quoted the speaker as saying in the statement.
Former governor Yari had in a leaked letter to the state government, requested his N10 million ‘monthly upkeep’, which he lamented had not been paid for some months.
The media aide to Governor Bello Matawalle, Yusuf Idris, on Tuesday confirmed that Mr Yari made the request, saying two days later Yari also sent a reminder
House leader Faruk Dosara, (PDP Maradun), who presented the bill, asked his colleagues to completely repeal the law “which provides the jamboree payment for the former political leaders of the state at the detriment of the retired civil servants who have not been paid their entitlements over the years.”
These categories of past leaders “are collecting over N700 million annually” which he said the present economy cannot accommodate.
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