Katsina State Government has approved the sum of five hundred and eighty-six million naira (N586.4M) as pension payment to the former governors of defunct Kaduna State, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, Alhaji Abba Musa Rimi and the first civilian governor of the state, Saidu Barda.
The state Head of Service, Alhaji Mohammed Lawal Aliyu also said Alhaji Garba Aminchi, Alhaji Tukur Jikamshi and Alhaji Surajo Umar Damari, who were former deputy governors in the state from 1999 to 2011 would also benefit from the payment.
Addressing the press shortly after the state’s weekly executive council meeting, Aliyu who was recently sworn-in as the new head of service, said the money was approved in line with the recently signed governors’ pension law.
According to him, the over five hundred and eighty million naira to be paid the ex governors and deputies was “the totality of what is due to the affected persons from 1999-to-date,” and noted that, “the amount was covered in the 2012 budget.”
It would be recalled that the state assembly, late last year passed the Governors’ Pension Law (law no. 6, 2011) which provided for the payment of life annual pension to former governors and their deputies who successfully completed their tenure. Other provisions made in the law included the provision of house and vehicle “befitting of their status.”
In the amended pension provision law, the ex-governors are to enjoy four-bed room houses in the state capital, while the ex-deputies would have three- bedroom houses, or its value as provided for by the law.
They are also to enjoy free medical care in Nigeria or abroad, including their families, and would enjoy two personal aides and two drivers, in addition to two brand new cars, to be replaced after every four years.