By Sani Adamu, Abuja
Excellency, Zamfara State Executive Governor Hon Dr. Bello Mohammed (Matawallen Maradun) has said that he will use the mind blowing pensions claims that has been repealed by the state House of Assembly in youth empowerment and the development of infrastructure in the state.
This was contained in a press statement signed by YUSUF IDRIS GUSAU the Director General Press Affairs office of the Executive Governor, Government House, Gusau, the statement further explain that Matawalle gave the assurance today while assenting to the repealed law in which past governors, past deputy governors, past speakers of the state House of Assembly were supposed to collect about a billion naira annually from the state government at a time pensioners are languishing in penury due to the past administration’s failure to pay them.
He regretted that although the immediate past administration in the state left behind a pensions liabilities to local government workers, primary school teachers and state civil servants amounting to about N10 billion apart from other liabilities such as promotion benefits, workers annual increment and the rest, which have put the state in a terrible financial quagmire, the immediate past governor Yari is requesting the state government to pay him a whooping amount of N120 million annually made up of a monthly upkeep allowance of N10 million.
The ex governor who recently wrote to the state government in this regard was also under the repealed law supposed to be collecting the exact amount he was collecting as his monthly salary while as governor which should continue for him for life as his pension and in addition to these, he is supposed to get Two vehicles to be bought by the State Government and replaceable every four years; Free medical treatment for former Governor and his immediate families and vacation within Nigeria and outside; Thirty days vacation within Nigeria or outside Nigeria; A 5-bedroom house in any location of the choice of the former Governor
within the country.
The law also extended similar largess to the former Deputy Governors, former Speakers of the State Assembly, and former Deputy Speakers. If allowed thus, it will overstretch the lean resources of the state at a time when the same people who were supposed to pay the meagre amount as pensions to retired civil servants refused to do so and handed them over as liabilities to the present administration.
While trying to return the state on a sound footing through the stoppage of armed banditry and other security challenges, the Barden Hausa and Executive Governor has also busied himself to attract local and foreign investors to the state to gainfully engage its teeming unemployed youth towards rebuilding the state to the envy of others.
The governor who tasked the past leaders to be selfless while charting a course to the state whether in power or not stressed that his administration will continue to focus more considerably to matters of development of the State and the wellbeing of its people thanking the people of the state for being in tune through prayers, cooperation and understanding of the efforts in this direction and urged that this
should continue.
The assenting ceremony was attended by the Speaker Zamfara State House of Assembly, Honourable Nasiru Maazu Magarya, Secretary to Zamfara State Government Alhaji Bala Bello Maru, Head of Service, Alhaji Kabiru Balarabe Honorary Adviser to the Governor Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, Members of the State House of Assembly, Permanent Secretaries and Director General’s among others.
