By Amaka Okafor
The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has approved a new remuneration structure for local government and development centre officials in the state, with council chairmen to receive ₦450,000 monthly and councillors ₦230,000.
The amendment Bill, which revises Schedules A and C of the Ebonyi State Local Government Councils and Development Centres Regulations and Remunerations for Public and Political Office Holders Law No. 004 of 2008, as amended in 2015, was passed unanimously during plenary on Wednesday at the Legislative Complex, Nkaliki Road, Abakaliki.
Presenting Governor Francis Nwifuru’s letter to the House, Speaker Moses Ije Odunwa said the amendment principally concerned the remuneration of public and political office holders at the local government and development centre levels.
“Schedule A covers the remuneration of Local Government Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, Supervisors, Secretaries and Special Assistants to Chairmen, while Schedule C covers Legislative Leaders, Deputy Leaders, Councillors, Development Centre Coordinators and Management Committee Members,” he said.
Leading the debate, the Leader of the House Kingsley Ikoro, said the constitutional powers of the Assembly covered legislation on the structure and administration of local government councils. He said the Bill was specifically intended to review the remuneration schedules applicable to the affected officials.
Following the debate, the House dissolved into a Committee of the Whole to scrutinise and fine-tune the provisions.
The revised Schedule A approved ₦450,000 for chairmen, ₦400,000 for vice chairmen, ₦230,000 for supervisors, ₦240,000 for secretaries and ₦165,000 for special assistants to chairmen.
Under Schedule C, legislative leaders will receive ₦300,000 monthly, deputy leaders ₦250,000, councillors ₦230,000, development centre coordinators ₦277,000 and management committee members ₦226,000.
Odunwa commended Governor Nwifuru for what he described as his commitment to improving the welfare of the people and strengthening grassroots administration, while reaffirming the Assembly’s commitment to working with the Executive to advance the administration’s People’s Charter of Needs agenda.
Moving the motion for the passage of the Bill, Ikoro was seconded by the member representing Ikwo North State Constituency, Hon. Ifeanyi Nwakpu. The Speaker thereafter put the motion to a voice vote, and the Bill was unanimously passed.
The Speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Mrs. Edene Uche Blessing, to communicate the passage of the amendment Bill to Governor Nwifuru, while the plenary was adjourned to another legislative day.
