The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Abia state chapter, has accused Governor Alex Otti, of using the pension law to pursue vendetta against former Governors and former Deputy Governors of the state.
Otti had last week revoked the state law which grants pension to former governors and former deputy governor.
The party stated that it cannot understand why Governor Otti who has not paid pension to any of his predecessors would quickly rush to repeal the law if not to massage his ego and portray himself as a saint and buy cheap popularity.
The party in a statement by its Acting state publicity secretary, Elder Amah Abraham, added that there is no evidence that the money saved from the non-payment of pension to former governors and former deputy governors, has been used to offset the pension arrears of pensioners and civil servants who are still being owed by the government.
Reminding Otti that the National Assembly has allowed the pension law for ex-presidents to stay, the party explained that a Governor who means well for the state would have amended the law to purge sections of the said law which he finds outrageous, stressing that outright repeal may encourage a Governor to help himself while in office as the state will abandon him at his old age.
It said; “The Abia PDP has reasons to believe that Alex Otti is using his office to pursue personal vendetta against the former governors as shown in this singular act which has not added any value to the Abia treasury.
“Let us assume that the said pension law and some of its letters are outrageous as it is being portrayed in the public to buy cheap popularity, there is no evidence that the money saved from the non-payment of pension to former governors has been used to offset the pension arrears of Abia pensioners even many civil servants are still being owed.
“Since the news made its debut, all the former governors through their spokespersons have come out to disclaim having received any pension from the State governor since he assumed office.
“So, it beats our understanding why a governor who has not paid pension to his predecessors would quickly rush to repeal the law if not to massage his little ego and portray himself as a patron Saint when he is not.
“So, what is the whole hullabaloo of the repeal of the pension Law all about if not to shore up a popularity which many Abians have come to see as empty and an enterprise on the pages of newspapers and social media.
“It has become a penchant for governor Alex Otti to go into overdrive in his quest for vendetta and this has been displayed in reckless ways that do not even add any political value to his person.
“Ordinarily, a man of good conscience who means well for a society of humans would have amended the law to purge any section or sections of the said law which he deems outrageous or inordinate.
“By outright repeal, is Alex Otti telling Abians that a person who serves Abia State for either four or eight years in such high capacity and highly demanding position as governor and deputy governor does not deserve a pension, no matter how little, to take care of oneself in old age?
“Is Alex Otti more conscionable than the National Assembly that has allowed the pension of former presidents to stay? Is he telling Abians that a governor should help himself enough while in office because the State would abandon him once he leaves office?
“It is very easy to read through Alex Otti’s desperation for self-glorification because there are other more pressing issues he should address to show that he is interested in good governance.
“The Abia PDP challenges Governor Alex Otti to obey the Local Government Autonomy bill passed by Abia House of Assembly. Why is he more interested in repealing the Pension Law when he has since seized the Local Government seals and centralized inflows from Local Governments? Why did he change the nomenclature of Local Government Chairman to a non-constitutional Mayoral system? Why has he not constituted the House of Assembly Service Commission? His inability to focus on these indicates that he is chasing personal glory at the expense of collective good of the masses.”