The Lagos State Civil Society Participation for Development, LACSOP has commended Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for repealing payment of pension and some entitlements to past governors and their deputies in the state.
The commendation was made in a press statement signed by Ayo Adebusoye, Chairman, Board of Trustees.
LACSOP noted that the act by the Governor is highly commendable adding that such funds would be used to provide for vulnerable and poor people in the state.
The statement reads in part that, “it is proper at this critical time that the Governor has announced that he will send an Executive Bill to repeal the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension Law 2007) which provides for payment of pension and other entitlements to former governors and their deputies.
“This shows the commitment of the Governor to improve the livelihood of people in the state.”
LACSOP thereafter called for the reduction of wasteful allowances for political appointees across the country.
“There must be radical slashing of all political appointees’ bumper allowances – especially Executive Governors, Members of the National Assembly, State Assemblies and use such funds to establish effective social protection programmes to deal with the endemic poverty in the land.
The World Bank estimates that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant economic recession, an additional 5 million Nigerians would be added to the 82.9 million estimated by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) already living in poverty.
“Scrap all unecessary convoys and protocol vehicles, ban all irrelevant travel by political leaders,” it added.