RSHA Passes Pension Reform Bill, 2019 …Receives Three Reports

The new Rivers State Pension Reform Bill 2019, has finally sailed through legislative proceedings, and is now awaiting endorsement of the governor.
This follows the passage of the bill after its third reading on the floor of the House, yesterday.
Before then, a debate had ensued as some legislators called for inclusion of more welfare packages and quick passage of the bill since it was aimed at addressing the plight of retirees.
According to the Chairman of the Committee on Pensions, Head of Service, and Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Benebo Anabraba, it is expected that the bill, when signed into law, would take into cognisance those retired up to June, 2019.
Benebo explained that the bill also addresses the issues bordering on access to funds by families or those overseeing wills of dead retirees.
Other features of the bill are that it totally repeals previous pension laws and merges new and old laws governing pensions.
Speaking shortly after the bill scaled third reading, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani added that once the new bill becomes law, all pension bodies would collapse into one, hence there would be only one pension board to oversee all pension matters for all retirees.
Ibani said, “There will be a unified pension body and it’s going to give succour to pensioners”
Warning those civil servants who manipulate their retirement age to desist, the speaker hinted that the new law would catch up with them with heavy penalty.
In a similar vein, the House also took debate on the bill to re-enact Rivers State College of Health Technology and Management Bill 2001 and other laws to upgrade the Rivers State College of Health and Management.
The Majority Leader, Hon Martin Amaewhule, submitted that the bill was expected to lift the institution to lofty heights and at par with sister higher institutions.