Politics
That Bayelsa Lawmakers’ Pension Bill
One thing that is becoming very outstanding in Nigerian politics is the issue of insatiable lust for money which normally in sane societies will cost some people their jobs in elective offices.
If we take a look at the recent ignoble law passed by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly proposing life pension for members of the House or those who have been legislators since the creation of the state, the move does not only send a cold shiver down the spine but shows that there is sheer greed and accumulated grievances against the working class in the society.
How come that a group of legislators who probably have served for only four or eight years will arrogate to themselves the powers to fix pension for themselves without clearly thinking of the consequence. Are they also implying that those who served as commissioners and special advisers should also have life pensions in the scheme of things?
However, it was a cheering news that the state Governor, Seriake Dickson refused to assent to such a self-serving and anti-people bill. The request for such a law was not only nauseating but leaves a very bad odour in the political atmosphere in the country because, if that law had been signed into law, then, trust Nigerians with their copy-cat approach to issues of individual interest, other legislative assemblies nationwide would have started passing such laws. And even councillors at the local government level will have no alternative than to pass such laws too, making themselves and council chairmen to enjoy similar financial benefits.
When the 1999 Constitution was promulgated into law, it was only the office of the President and Vice President that were covered under this law but sadly, the first set of governors from 1999 to 2003 set a bad example by arm-twisting their legislative houses to pass favourable pension laws for them, and this is the genesis of what we are seeing today.
A House of Assembly is supposed to be a hallowed chamber where people-oriented laws are supposed to be made and it is also a place where problems that affect the people or even an individual can be addressed but today what we are experiencing is that it is a place to address only members’ welfare.
The legislators should note that their office is an elective one, they did not write a letter of application for the job and they don’t have any promotion examination to go to the next grade level. In short, they don’t have a retirement age limit but can re-contest for elections as they deem fit.
Please, someone should tell them that politics should not be left to jobless people or the idle minds but to those who have work experience and have something to do to earn a living before venturing into politics. If this notion of life pension…God forbid comes to stay in Nigeria with such huge sums of money approved, what signal then are we sending to the rest of Nigerians, … every Tom, Dick and Harry that is jobless and without any work experience will struggle either by hook or crook to venture into politics with the aim of contesting for the legislative assembly.
In the First and Second Republics, all the members of the legislative assembly including council chairmen and councillors were not lazy people but had well paid jobs before venturing into politics. The likes of Dr. Nwafor Orizu, the then President of the Senate, Rt. Hon Rosebury Briggs, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly in the Second Republic was a successful lawyer in private practice for many years before he entered the murky waters of partisan politics.
All these people and their colleagues at no time advocated for free and easy money from government to take care of their youthful and productive age. If we take a careful look at the age bracket of members of most state houses of assembly, we will hardly see anyone that is above 60 years of age which is an indication that those who want to benefit from this largese are people mostly in either their 30s or 40s … what a tragedy.
Again, a cursory look at the productivity level of some members shows that they have not contributed anything meaningful by either initiating bills or intellectually debating issues affecting the state or their constituencies and sometimes even on television, we see some legislators dozing or sleeping while debates on serious matters affecting the society are going on, yet they want pension for life.
For democracy to grow, we need to elect into office people of substance, people with integrity, individuals who by their pedigree have something to offer society in the area of quality law making and selfless service that is worthy of emulation.
Why is it that when we as Nigerians borrow good ideas from foreign climes, our domestication of such ideas leaves a very bad example for future generations? If we say we are practising a presidential democracy modelled after the United States of America, what stops us from imitating the good sides of such democracy rather than making selfish laws that will only benefit us?
Even in America, legislative business cannot be compared to that of Nigeria. There, legislators pay house rent and do not live in staff quarters and are not chauffeured around in official cars but here in Nigeria, despite all the largese that is spread around such offices, they are still not satisfied but yearn for more. I think one of the solutions to such demands for life pension should be a review of the Constitution to make legislative duties part-time so as to make the offices less attractive to people who are not really cut out to serve the public.
It seems that the military interegnum between 1983 to 1999 really did a lot of damage to our psyche as a nation and that is why the quality of legislators the electorate have been sending to the houses of assembly especially in some states have been deteriorating every four years. The vibrancy and maturity we experienced between 1992 to 1993 and 1999 to 2003 are no longer there.
Our houses of assembly should sit up, look beyond members’ individual interest and learn once more to be honourable not just in name but also in their legislative duties. Nigeria or the various states are not an inexhaustible gold mine or crude oil field where free cash can be gotten to cushion the lavish lifestyle of an individual, what we need are people with ideas that can fashion out modalities of how to tackle the myriad of problems bedeviling our society like unemployment.
This is because if we keep quiet with the way things are going, our inactions will later turn to haunt us in future.
For rejecting that obnoxious bill on pension for legislators, the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson has not only saved the people of the state from embarrassment but also people from other states from modern day financial recklessness.
Tonye Ikiroma-Owiye
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has approved the release of N15.6 billion for the payment of outstanding severance gratuities, accommodation, and leave allowances owed to over N3,000 former councillors across the State’s 44 local government areas.
The approved payment covers councillors who served during the periods of 2014–2017, 2018–2020, and 2021–2024 under the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. The entitlements, which remained unpaid for years, will now be disbursed in three installments between April and June 2025.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Information to the Governor, Ibrahim Adam, the administration described the move as a corrective measure to address the neglect of past leadership and fulfil a promise to ensure fairness to public office holders.
“The approval of N15.6 billion is in fulfilment of Governor Abba K. Yusuf’s commitment to ensuring that all outstanding entitlements owed to our dedicated public servants are fully paid. It is a matter of principle and justice to uphold the dignity of those who have served in elected positions”, Mr Adam said.
He noted that the financial intervention reflects the governor’s broader vision of governance rooted in fairness, accountability, and public trust.
“His Excellency recognises the sacrifices and dedication of these former councillors. This action is part of a larger effort to right the wrongs of the past and restore faith in public administration,” he added.
Local government officials and affected former councillors have welcomed the decision, describing it as long overdue and a step toward healing the financial frustrations of many grassroots leaders.
Governor Yusuf’s administration, elected on a different political platform than his predecessor, continues to draw commendation for its proactive efforts to resolve inherited liabilities and improve the welfare of public servants.
As the payment schedule begins, it is expected that this intervention will offer financial relief to thousands and stimulate local economic activity across the state.
Politics
Gunmen Disrupt Political Rally In Bayelsa ….As Turnah, Others Emerge New Associates’Leaders
Scores of spectators and political faithful were hospitalised after a yet to be identified gunmen invaded a rally organised by a group loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
Part of the activities scheduled to hold at the occasion was the inauguration ceremony of the Bayelsa State chapter of the ‘New Associates’, a pro-Wike political forum.
The Tide which monitored the event reports that trouble started just at the preparatory stages of the event, when the unidentified gunmen launched sporadic gunshots from a farm close to the venue of the event, injuring unsuspecting spectators and party faithful across party lines.
However, calm was restored after a swift intervention by men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force and other security formations which enabled the event to go on as planned.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after restoration of calm, factional South-South zonal Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the State’s chapter of the party, Barrister George Turnah, commended security operatives for their timely response.
He noted that the plan of detractors had been defeated as forces loyal to certain individuals in the State never wanted the rally to hold as scheduled.
Turnah, who doubles as Convener of the ‘New Associates’ in the State, commended President Tinubu and Chief Wike for the appointment and facilitating the same for Ijaws across the Niger Delta region.
He said, but for the love of the duo for the Ijaw people of various extractions, the Presidency would not have given preferential political portfolios in the Federal Government’s Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to Ijaws even though the ethnic nationality produces bulk of the natural resources for the economic mainstay of the nation.
The PDP chieftain reiterated that the reason for the event which was attended across party lines was to say ‘thank you’ to the two political leaders, stressing that to ‘whom much is given, much was expected’.
“For me, I’m of the larger opposition party, PDP. But I’ve decided to support and work for President Tinubu for what he is doing for the Ijaw nation, Niger Delta region in particular and Nigeria in general.
“President Tinubu has given Bayelsans and other Ijaws across the Niger Delta region several juicy political appointments. He appointed our brother and son, Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of Petroleum even though former President Muhammadu Buhari had previously appointed a Bayelsan as Petroleum Minister in his government.
“Apart from the Petroleum Minister, Tinubu has also appointed Ijaw sons, Chief Boma Iyaye as Executive- Director, Finance, and Dr Samuel Ogbuku as Managing-Director and CEO of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
“Though former President Buhari had appointed Ogbuku initially in Acting capacity, when President Tinubu came, even after sacking all board members of the Commission, he still kept our brother, the MD and upon the completion of his tenure in Acting capacity, the President again reappointed him as substantive MD/CEO.
“But there’s one man who has made all these appointments for Ijaws possible. He is the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. Ijaw people, Bayelsans are we not enjoying these appointments?
“Has the NDDC not lit up the entire Niger Delta region? Are you not feeling the impact of the Ogbuku-led NDDC? So for me and all the members of the New Associates we’ve decided to support President Tinubu for a second tenure so that our state and region can benefit more from his government”, he said.
“We want Governor Douye Diri to tell us his stand on the forthcoming 2027 general election. He should tell us whether he is supporting the President or not. If he’s supporting the President, we’ll work with him. After all, Diri was the first Governor from the South-South zone that benefitted from the President’s magnanimity during the 2023 elections and even in terms of infrastructure projects and appointments of Bayelsans at the Federal level”, Barr Turnah added.
In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion, and leader, Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress (RIPCO), Senator George Sekibo, lauded President Tinubu and the FCT Minister for their love and friendship with the Ijaw people.
Represented by former Chairman of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Dr Roland Sekibo, Senator Sekibo said the ‘New Associates’ political forum was to galvanize support for the President for his 2027 election.
He said while President Tinubu had performed well as Nigeria’s leader, the FCT Minister had continued to show leadership from the federal level after showing the same in Rivers State while serving as governor.
“I like to thank the convener of the ‘New Associates’ political forum in Bayelsa State, Barr. George Turnah (MON) and the Coordinators for standing firm in spite of threats from highly placed political leaders not to hold this event.
“Love is not theoretically, but must be expressed, which explains why they have gathered to celebrate their Excellencies, President Tinubu and Barr. Ezewon Nyesom Wike for the various roles they have played and have continued to play to ensure the appointment of Ijaw sons and daughters to positions of trust and authority at the federal level.
“The ‘New Associates’ is in synergy with President Tinubu and will continue to follow directives from the FCT Minister who has openly declared support for Mr. President”, he said.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
The Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP) in Enugu State, Mr Titus Odo, has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr Odo defected to the PDP on Wednesday alongside the former Commissioner for Chieftancy Affairs in the State, Emeka Mamah, who was the state Coordinator of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign in the 2023 presidential election.
The duo dumped the PDP during the 2023 general elections for the Labour Party.
Receiving the defectors at the party’s state secretariat, the state PDP Chairman, Martin Chukwunwike, expressed happiness over their decision to return to their former party.
He explained that Governor Peter Mbah gave them the directive to do everything possible to bring back aggrieved party members who left the party.
“We are happy to have them in our midst, and God has set this party on a good footing, as 2027 is already assured,” he said.
The PDP chairman, however, called for unity within the party to package themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during their presentation to the party state chairman, Mr Odo expressed joy for returning to his former party, revealing that Mr Mbah’s massive development in the State informed his decision.
“I am happy to tell you that I am back to my home. I came back because of the giant development strides of Governor Mbah and I say kudos to him.
“The second reason is the defection of my immediate boss, the LP governorship candidate for the 2023 election in Enugu State, Dr Chijioke Edeoga.
“Another reason is that the council chairman in Igboeze North, Mr Uchenna Ogara, is turning the council area into a township,” he said.
Mr Mamah also thanked the PDP leadership in Igboeze North, Enugu North Senatorial zone and the state chapter of the party for receiving him back to the party.
He extolled Mr Mbah for extending hands of fellowship to those who had left the party, saying, “Personally, I am pleased with the performances of our governor.”