Afe Babalola seeks stoppage of govs’ severance packages, advocates sitting allowances for legislators

• Oyebanji woos NACCIMA to invest in Ekiti

Founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola, yesterday, proposed that the 10th National Assembly lawmakers should not receive salaries but sitting allowances.

He also deplored the outrageous severance packages for former governors and other public office holders, saying that there should be no more of such perks if the country must make progress.

The ABUAD founder, who stated this during the 63rd yearly general meeting of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) held at the university’s campus, said the current office holders should be forbidden from having foreign accounts.

He, however, tasked NACCIMA not to be silent on the current travails facing the country, wondering why the body remained aloof to the nation’s indebtedness.

Babalola also urged the association to set up a committee to review how foreign debts accumulated by previous regimes were disbursed.

In his remarks, Ekiti State Governor, Abiodun Oyebanji, urged NACCIMA members to take advantage of the favourable investment opportunities to invest in the state.

Oyebanji said that Ekiti had taken proactive steps by enacting laws to promote private sector involvement in infrastructure, education, agriculture and health sector.

He said part of the incentives for would-be investors include the simplified tax payment, easy access to land, among others.

Also, the former Minister for Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, said the immediate past administration did well in agriculture and health and the fight against corruption.

He said that for the first time, an investment policy was designed and approved for the country, a feat that has not been achieved before.

(Guardian)