Bayelsa Lawmaker, Salo Adikumo Breaks Silence, Gives Reasons Why He Wants Life Pension For Legislators
…Says He Is A Professional Politician
Contrary to the falsehood being peddled in some quarters and media outlets that the member representing the people of Sagbama constituency III, Bayelsa State, in the state House of Assembly rejected the controversial bill, named PENSION BILL FOR GOVERNORS, DEPUTY GOVERNORS AND MEMBERS OF THE STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, prescribing life pension for legislators, Hon Salo Adikumo has came out with reasons why he lend credence to the bill on the floor of the house.
While he addressed himself as a “professional politician”, the lawmaker said the bill is the best interest of Bayelsans. The bill was recently passed expressly in the state House, but report says the governor of the state, Gov. Henry Seriake Dickson declined assent to the bill on Monday.
His words: “Whatever thing we are doing is for the good of the people. Let me tell you something, we are professional politicians and you guys are professional media men and we have profession civil servants who go home on pension because they have to take care of themselves after retirement. Yu know how a pensioner values his pension money.
“Take me for instance, I have been a teacher for so many years before I retired voluntarily and I have been collecting my small pension; and if i have not received that alert at the end of the month, you will see me lamenting and crying , so it keeps us going.
“That is why we decided this (pension) for our people. Imagine the small stipend we are proposing to be going home with, a hundred thousand naira, compared to what we are receiving now.
“You had my comment in the floor of the house when I said that some Permanent Secretaries are going home with almost their full salary as pension and over twelve to twenty permanent secretaries retire from the civil service every year and we are just twenty four.
“The permanent secretaries when they go home, they go home with about seven hundred to eight hundred thousand naira and we are only going home with only a hundred thousand naira.
“You can see the reason behind this plan. We don’t want to over-bloat the system because we are aware of the government’s involvement in executing projects.
“Our aim is to see government succeeds haven approved monies for government to execute projects for the success of governance. That is our main purpose Whatever law we are making is for the good of the people.
“We don’t want to over-bloat the system and say ok, lawmakers must be paid two hundred , three hundred thousand naira. That is why you see this token in appreciation to what we have been doing.
” I can tell you, it is the right decision in the right direction”. Salo Said.
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