Crisis brews in Imo as lawmakers seek better welfare package

OWERRI—The executive and legislative arms of government in Imo State may be heading for serious confrontation, following what the lawmakers see as executive exploitation.

Already, the lawmakers, who are mainly from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, have reportedly rejected cheques for their June salary to press home their demand for better welfare packages and appropriate salary.

Similarly, Vanguard gathered that when the lawmakers refused to go on their annual recess, the executive soft-pedaled to get the budget passed and later reneged on its agreement with the legislators.

A close aid of one of the legislators told Vanguard that, “the lawmakers rejected the cheques because it only reflected what they had been kicking against, prior to the passage of the 2014 budget last month.”

The legislative aide lamented that the lawmakers in Imo had allegedly been losing over N400,000 monthly since their inauguration in 2011.

He recalled that the lawmakers had been making frantic efforts to get government to redress the shortfall, especially when they realised that the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission recommended something higher than what they were receiving.

Vanguard recalls that the House had earlier set up an ad-hoc committee to visit other state legislatures to verify the take home of lawmakers.

Armed with their findings, the lawmakers were said to have called off their long vacation, as well as plan to resume plenary.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/crisis-brews-imo-lawmakers-seek-better-welfare-package/#sthash.FBBm7xtP.dpuf

Viewed 1 times
Crisis brews in Imo as lawmakers seek better welfare package