Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to amend Schedules A and C of Law No. 004 of 2008, as amended in 2015, to review the remuneration of public and political office holders at the local government and development centre levels.
The bill was passed during plenary on Wednesday at the Legislative Complex, Nkaliki Road, Abakaliki, presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Moses Ije Odunwa.
Presenting a letter from Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to the House, Odunwa said the proposed amendment principally concerned the remuneration schedules for various political office holders at the grassroots.
Leading the debate on the bill, the Leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Kingsley Ikoro, said Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, empowered the State House of Assembly to legislate on the structure and administration of Local Government Councils.
Ikoro said the bill was specifically aimed at reviewing the remuneration of the affected office holders.
Following deliberations, the Leader moved a motion for the House to dissolve into the Committee of the Whole to fine-tune the provisions of the bill. The motion was seconded by the member representing Ezza South Constituency, Hon. Friday Ogbuewu.
Upon reconvening, Speaker Odunwa announced the revised remuneration for the affected office holders.
Under Schedule A, covering executive officials at the local government level, the monthly remuneration was fixed as follows:
Local Government Chairman — N450,000
Vice Chairman — N400,000
Supervisor — N230,000
Secretary — N240,000
Special Assistant to Chairman — N165,000
Under Schedule C, covering legislative and development centre officials, Odunwa announced the new remuneration as:
Legislative Leader — N300,000
Deputy Leader — N250,000
Councillor — N230,000
Development Centre Coordinator — N277,000
Management Committee Member — N226,000
The existing Law No. 004 of 2008 governs aspects of local government and development centre administration in Ebonyi State. A previous report by the Ebonyi State House of Assembly also identified the law as the Local Government and Development Centre Law.
Commending Governor Nwifuru for what he described as his commitment to improving the welfare of public office holders and strengthening grassroots administration, the Speaker reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to sustaining a productive partnership with the executive arm of government in advancing the People’s Charter of Needs agenda.
Thereafter, Ikoro moved a motion for the passage of the amendment bill. The motion was seconded by the member representing Ikwo North Constituency, Hon. Ifeanyi Nwakpu.
The bill was subsequently passed unanimously through a voice vote, after which Speaker Odunwa directed the Clerk of the House, Mrs Edene Uche Blessing, to communicate the passage to the governor.
The plenary was thereafter adjourned to another legislative day following a motion moved by the Leader and seconded by Hon. Aloysius Nwodo, representing Ebonyi North West Constituency.
