Confab adopts part-time legislation, seeks cancellation of severance pay for ex-governors
Confab adopts part-time legislation, seeks cancellation of severance pay for ex-governors
The Conference also adopted a recommendation for the creation of a character commission in each state of the federation.
The delegates to the on-going National
Conference on Wednesday said governors and their deputies should no
longer be entitled to pension and severance pay when they leave office.
The resolution might have been taken due to
the pension laws passed by some states of the federation including Kano,
Rivers, Gombe and Akwa Ibom.
The Conference also adopted a recommendation to make federal and state legislators operate on part-time basis.
These decisions were taken on Wednesday after
the Conference adopted the resolutions of its committee on Public
Service jointly headed by Ebele Okeke and Adamu Aliyu.
Under the new arrangement, states offering
pension, life insurance and severance allowances to former governors and
their deputies would be expected to cancel such perks and or align them
with global best practices.
The Conference also adopted a recommendation
for the creation of a character commission in each state of the
federation to protect the interest of minority ethnic groups.
The implication of this is that if eventually
accepted by the president and included in the constitution, minority
groups in the 36 states of the federation would enjoy equal treatment in
appointments into public service of their different states.
The Conference Chairman, Idris Kutigi, said
the decision is meant to address the non-application of the Federal
Character principles at the state and local government levels.
However, the Committee’s recommendation that
retirement age for civil servants, be fixed at 65 or forty years of
active service; from the present practice of 60 years of age or 35 years
of service was rejected.
Delegates had argued that those who have
clocked 35 years in service or were 60 years old should give room for
younger ones with fresh ideas to join the service.
The recommendation for the creation of
Foreign Service Commission with a chairman and six commissioners, one of
whom should be from each of the six geo-political zones was unanimously
adopted.
The Conference also accepted the
recommendation that governments at all levels should make public offices
disability-friendly by providing special access facilities in line with
international charters and treaties.
Besides, governments at all levels are
expected to add allowances equivalent to Salary Grade Level 6 to persons
living with disability to enable them employ an aide.
The Conference also sought to minimize
disparities in public sector pay, particularly between political
appointees, public officers, civil servants and staff of parastatals.
As part of cost saving measures, the
Conference suggested that henceforth, political appointees ranging from
ministers to commissioners and local government chairmen should no
longer employ special advisers, special assistants, and personal
assistants.
Instead, political office holders are
encouraged to utilize staff of their ministries and council areas where
it becomes necessary, as contained in Circular No: B63833/73 of January
3, 2000.
It also sought an amendment to Section 147(3)
of the 1999 Constitution which demands that the President appoints at
least one minister from each state of the Federation.
Instead, it asked that the section be
reframed to indicate that the President shall appoint not more than one
minister from each state of the federation.
While calling for full implementation of the
Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), the
Conference also advocated strong budgetary reforms and the creation
framework for budget monitoring and evaluation.
However, former lawmakers at the Conference were quick to kick against the decision to make the legislature part-time.
They argued that holding a political office
is not the same as being a career public servant; and that the
legislature as presently constituted, is operating on part-time basis
because members do not sit for a whole week.
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