On Monday 27th May 2024, the Benue State House of Assembly repealed the life pension law for former governors and their deputies. This law, enacted in May 2023 just before the end of the previous assembly’s tenure, provided lifetime benefits to ex-elected governors and their deputies starting from 1999. Those affected include former governors George Akume, Gabriel Suswam, Samuel Ortom, and former deputy governors Steven Lawani and Engr Benson Abounu.
The current 10th Assembly, during its plenary session, unanimously decided to repeal the law, arguing it was not made in good faith and was against the public interest. Speaker of the House, Aondona Dajoh, supported the unanimous decision to repeal the “Bill for a Law to Repeal Provision for the Maintenance of Former Elected Governors of the State and their Deputies and for Other Matters Connected Thereto 2024.”
Previously, the law had stipulated a monthly pension equivalent to the current salaries of the serving governor and deputy governor, drawn from the state’s consolidated revenue. Additionally, it provided a maintenance allowance of N25,000,000 for former governors and N15,000,000 for former deputy governors every four years. The previous Speaker of the 9th Assembly, Engr. Titus Uba, had overseen the bill’s passage after it was introduced by Hon. Geoffrey Agbatse, then chairman of the House Committee on Business and Rules.