Plateau Civil Society Groups Reject Pension Bill for Ex-lawmakers, Call it ‘Self-Serving’
Urges Assembly to halt bill, demands public hearing
Our Reporter
A coalition of 21 civil society organizations in Nigeria’s Plateau State has rejected a proposed bill to grant lifetime pension allowances to former speakers, deputy speakers, principal officers and members of the State House of Assembly, calling it “ill-timed, self-serving and economically burdensome.”
In a press release issued on 9th July 2026, the CSO Coalition said the legislation is inconsistent with accountable governance at a time when Plateau is grappling with insecurity, unemployment, economic hardship and competing development priorities.
The Coalition raised concerns over the legislative process, alleging the bill passed its First and Second Readings on the same day “without sufficient legislative scrutiny or public engagement.”
It also said the full contents of the bill have not been made public, denying citizens, labour unions, pensioners and professional bodies the chance to scrutinize provisions that would commit state resources.
“The apparent absence of a public hearing for a bill with significant fiscal implications undermines transparency, weakens public confidence in the legislative process and contradicts the principles of participatory democracy,” said Steve Aluko, Convener of the Coalition.
The CSO Coalition demanded that the Plateau State House of Assembly immediately halt further consideration of the bill, publish its full text, and conduct a transparent public hearing involving citizens, labour unions, pensioners, professional bodies and economic experts.
It also urged the state governor to “withhold assent should the bill be transmitted in its current form.”
“Plateau State requires policies that stimulate economic growth, strengthen public services and improve the welfare of citizens, not legislation that appears to prioritize the interests of a few over the collective good,” the statement said.
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