Plateau Assembly Moves to Establish Pension Scheme for Former Lawmakers.

The Plateau State House of Assembly has begun legislative processes to establish a pension allowance scheme for former Speakers, Deputy Speakers, principal officers and members of the Assembly.

The proposed legislation, titled “A Bill for a Law to Establish a Payment Allowance as Pension for Former Speakers, Deputy Speakers, Principal Officers and Members of the Plateau State House of Assembly and for Other Related Matters,” was sponsored by the member representing Rukuba/Irigwe State Constituency, Hon. Eli Ankala.

The bill was co-sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Na’anlong Daniel, former Speaker Rt. Hon. Gabriel Dewan, Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Isa Ajiji, and the House Majority Leader, Hon. Joseph Gokum.

The bill passed both its first and second readings during Tuesday’s plenary sitting.

Following its consideration, Speaker Rt. Hon. Na’anlong Daniel referred the bill to the House Committees on Rules and Business, House Services and Welfare, and Finance for further legislative scrutiny. The joint committee, to be chaired by the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, is expected to submit its report on July 30, 2026.

Speaking in an interview after plenary, Hon. Ankala said the proposed law is designed to provide pension allowances for all living former members of the Plateau State House of Assembly.

He explained that funding for the pension scheme would be shared between the Legislature and the Executive, noting that the Assembly’s financial autonomy would enable it to shoulder a significant portion of the responsibility.

“The House now enjoys financial autonomy, so a substantial part of the funding will come from the Legislature. However, the burden will not be one-sided. We hope that between 50 and 70 percent of the funding will come from the State Assembly,” he said.

According to Ankala, the legislation is long overdue, stressing that many former lawmakers who served the state now face difficult living conditions after leaving office.

“Those of us serving now may not have such concerns, but if you meet members who served in the Fifth Assembly, and even some from the Eighth and Ninth Assemblies, you will sympathise with their situation,” he said.

He added that the bill seeks to improve the welfare of former legislators, noting that they still have families to care for and daily expenses such as electricity bills, transportation and other essential needs after leaving office.

Meanwhile, another bill titled “A Bill for a Law to Provide for the Establishment of the Plateau State House of Assembly Service Pension Board and for Other Related Matters, 2025,” also scaled second reading during the plenary.

The bill sponsored by Hon. Dickson Chollom was co-sponsored by Speaker Na’anlong Daniel, Hon. Joseph Gokum, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Dewan, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Sanda, Hon. Abdul Yanga, Hon. Daniel Nanbol Listick, Hon. Wallangko Sylvester Ibrahim and Hon. Sunday Mark Na’ah.

The Speaker referred the bill to the House Committees on Finance and House Services and Welfare. The committee, to be chaired by the Chairman of the House Services and Welfare Committee, is expected to report back to the Assembly on August 6, 2026.

Also during plenary, the member representing Langtang North North State Constituency, Hon. Nimchak Abel Namsak, moved a motion urging the Assembly to honour the late HRH Selven Musa, a former member of the Second Republic, Plateau State House of Assembly, who died in June at the age of 92.

The Lawmaker urged the House to send a delegation to condole with the bereaved family and to attend the late elder statesman’s burial, scheduled for July 25, 2026.