>
Lagos State House of Assembly has reduced the pension of former governors of the state by 50 per cent.
A statement signed by Mr. Eromosele Ebhomele, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Thursday, said that the decision was taken after the adoption of a report by the House Committee on Establishment, which recommended the reduction of pension for former governors and other affected officials by 50 per cent.
The committee also expunged the provision of houses in Abuja and Lagos for ex-governors as stipulated in an earlier law operated by the state.
The report further showed a reduction in the number of vehicles to be made available to former governors and their deputies.
The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, suggested that former governors should get two vehicles (a car and a van) instead of three as recommended by the committee.
He also suggested that the amended bill should provide that the cars be changed every four years instead of the three years recommended by the report.
Also, some of the lawmakers at the plenary called for an upward review of the pension for the affected public office holders by 75 per cent while others urged that the pension remain as stipulated in the old law.
The Speaker, however, argued that the pension be left at 50per cent since the report had recommended removal of houses and reduced other benefits
Obasa stressed the need to secure the lives of ex-public office holders, saying, he has seen some former speakers and ex-governors in very bad situation after leaving office.
He further pointed out that the argument for downward review of the pension for former governors and others by his colleagues could be affected by inflation and other economic considerations.
Obasa, however, stressed the need for the House to meet the yearning the people, which include cutting down cost of governance.