By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Controversy is dogging the Lagos House of Assembly proposed amendment of the Public Office Holders’ Pension Law (2007), which seeks to give life pension to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House.

The bill, titled: “A Bill for A Law to Amend the Payment of Pensions and Other Fringe Benefits to Public Office Holders in Lagos State and for Connected Purposes”, is to amend the state Public Office Holders’ Pension Law (2007). Human rights activists have condemned the move, saying it is the height of legislative looting and insensitive to economic recession in the country.

Hon. Tunde Braimoh, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, in this interview, speaks on the amendment and the reason the House will thoroughly scrutinise Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s N813 Billion 2017 budget.

Motive for Pension Bill
It is true that we want to amend the Public Office Holders’ Pen
sion Law (2007), with a view to giving life pension to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

There are three arms of government, the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary; if the judiciary and executive arms are entitled to certain emoluments, whatever is good for the goose is as well is good for the gander. Why people are not familiar with the legislature is because it is not as entrenched as the other arms of government.

Tunde Braimoh

There has always been the judiciary even before 1960. But when the military intervened in our political process, the legislature was short-changed because for government to function well at that time, they co-opted local politicians but never for once put a civilian into the ruling councils which the military constituted and combined executive and legislative powers.

The Armed Forces Ruling Council, Provisional Ruling Council, whatever name you call it, appropriated the powers of the legislature to issue decrees. But the legislature is very important because it is the only arm of government that can spontaneously check the excesses of other arms of government, especially the executive. The legislature truly represents the people.

The people must be seen as participating in the running of government, because absolute power corrupts absolutely, that’s why the Constitution makes provision for one arm of government to check the other.

And whatever it takes for the legislature to be independence must be something the citizens must encourage. The truth of the matter must be said without being biased, whatever will make the legislature more entrenched, the more established more autonomous should be encouraged by the citizenry.

The citizens must not expect the executive to trample on the legislature; the legislature is there to act as check and balances on the executive. And in a situation where the executive is entitled to something and the legislature will have to be induced before performing its duties or forgo its functions does not augur well for the people.

Thus, if the Speaker of the House of Assembly is immune from inducement, manipulation of the executive, the better for the citizenry. The bill will go through public hearing, we are not going to abridge that, people are still coming to share their perspectives. If they do not want it, they can kill it at that stage. But let me tell you the reason the House is taking this position.

It is to put the legislature on the same pedestal with other arms of government without making the legislature look inferior or inconsequential. Let the Speaker be confident, independent, immune from hunger, inducement, want. It is like giving a man a job of revenue collection and you did not make that person comfortable.

If you don’t want that man to be compromised, he must be at ease with himself; otherwise he can start spending the money to the detriment of the citizenry. As much as possible, the legislature must be seen to be assertive and established. That is why Lagos State House of Assembly scored first with the National Assembly over autonomy of finance. Lagos State House of Assembly does not need to go the governor cap in hand for fund.

The other state assemblies lack the courage and temerity to do that. We don’t need to delay the budget here; that is one of the reasons administration is smoother here because everybody knows his own place, duties, rights and privileges. But where you need to go cap in hand for fund you would not be respected.

So, whatever we are going to do to eliminate this we will do. The Constitution is there; what we are doing is not out of the blues. There are constitutional tenets derivable from the separation of power principles. In any case the executive did not make the law to have the benefit the legislature made for them. So what is good for one is good for all if you do not want to emasculate the other.

We have sampled the opinion of members and they seem to be in tandem with the bill after the first reading. Majority of the membership are in favour.

The number of years will play a big role here. For example, if a Speaker spent one year and another spent four years it will not be the same provision. More importantly, government is trying to appreciate the service of public office holders.
2017 budget passage

On the budget, our masters Lagosians can’t be short-changed.

We will not deny Lagosians of what is due to them; we don’t want to roll it over to next year considering the recession in the country. So, whatever we can do to cushion the effect of recession, we will do for Lagosians, but also not to compromise or in any way jeopardize the ultimate benefit for all.

As partners in progress with the executive, that is not to say we are not going to scrutinize the budget to every detail. We expect traditional people’s oriented projects and programmes in the budget but that does not mean we should close our eyes to details because no person has the bastion of knowledge.

There are about 70 pages of the budget proposal; if this should go without scrutiny and adjustment, it means we have not done anything and we are not rubber stamp assembly. If there is any grey area, we take them (executive) up on it. We are elected by the people and we are accountable to them.