The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) says plans by the Bayelsa House of Assembly to place themselves, state Governor and Deputy Governor on life pension is fraudulent and will be resisted.
The TUC in a statement on Sunday in Lagos said that it read with indignation and outright betrayal the move by the Bayelsa assembly to pass such bill.
The statement jointly signed by Bobboi Kaigama, President of TUC and its Secretary General, Musa-Lawal Ozidi, the new bill will repeal the existing pensions for governor and deputy governor law of 2003 if passed.
It also said that it was wrong for the lawmakers to come up with such at a time the retirees who had served the country for 35 years were dying at verification centres.
”Many of the retirees cannot even afford drugs to take care of their age-related sicknesses. Yet politicians who served for just four years are placing themselves on life pension.
”It is obvious there is no milk of kindness left in these people and it is a deliberate attempt to widen the scope of fraudulent activities by politicians in the state,” the union said.
It said that such self-centered bill started with some states years ago and unfortunately the number was increasing, hence the need to stop it.
”This is peak of irresponsibility that cannot be allowed to persist whether the bill is given expedited passage on the floor of the house or not,” it said.
The TUC, however, urged the Bayelsa legislature and states nursing such ideas to drop them as the organised labour would not leave any stone unturned in the fight for good governance and accountability.