*As govt denies responsibility for payment

BY SUZAN EDEH

Bauchi – Thirty-one former members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly have given the government ultimatum to pay their severance allowances or face court action. The former legislators made the threat in a letter to Governor Isa Yuguda.

The letter entitled: “Non-payment of severance gratuity to members of the Sixth Assembly of the Bauchi State House of Assembly” was signed by their lawyer, Rabiu Garba.

However, in a swift reaction, the state government said it was not responsible for the payment of such entitlements and blamed it on the State Assembly Service Commission.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ishola Adeyemi said “it is not the duty of the state governor to pay the members their money rather, all lawmakers and staff of the assembly are under the State Assembly Commission. He advised the former lawmakers to take their grievances to the appropriate quarters for necessary action.

But, Garba had stated in his letter that “the members had served the state in the last four years as members of the Bauchi State House from May 2007 to May 29, 2011 are constitutionally entitled to the payment of severance allowance on before May 29, 2011,’’ just as other states in the country  have paid the severance benefits to the Sixth Assembly members who served in the same tenure with the ex-lawmakers.’’

According to him, the assembly men “will be left with no option, than to take all necessary legal means to get their money.’’