PLATEAU YOUTH GROUP, RICAM THINK TANK, KICKS AGAINST “OBNOXIOUS” PENSION BILL BY PLAHA
By Peter Azi JOS
– A Plateau-based civil society group, RICAM Think Tank, has condemned a proposed bill by the Plateau State House of Assembly, PLAHA, seeking to place former Principal Officers of the Assembly on huge pension benefits, describing it as insensitive and obnoxious.
The group said the bill comes at a time when the state is battling high unemployment, infrastructural deficits, and widespread poverty.
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In a statement issued in Jos and signed by its Director of Programmes, Ishaya Ajiji, RICAM Think Tank expressed dismay and anger over the move, noting that there is growing condemnation and protest across Plateau State over the proposed legislation.
“There is a high level of condemnation and protest in Plateau State as different groups and organizations continue to express their dismay and anger over the proposed bill by Members of the Plateau State House of Assembly to pay former Principal Officers of the Assembly huge sums of pension,” the statement read.
According to the group, prioritizing pension packages for former lawmakers while thousands of youths remain jobless and communities lack basic amenities is a misplacement of priority and an affront to the people of Plateau.
RICAM Think Tank argued that public funds should be channeled toward job creation, education, healthcare, and critical infrastructure rather than entitlements that will further drain the state’s lean resources.
“We consider this bill obnoxious, anti-people and a slap on the faces of Plateau citizens who are currently suffering hardship,” Ajiji stated. “At a time when graduates roam the streets without jobs, when our roads are in deplorable condition and poverty is biting harder, the Assembly should be thinking of people-oriented laws, not self-serving ones.”
The group called on the Plateau State House of Assembly to immediately withdraw the bill and redirect its energy toward laws and policies that will alleviate the suffering of citizens.
It also urged civil society organizations, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and the general public to resist what it termed “a daylight robbery of the commonwealth” and hold their representatives accountable.
RICAM Think Tank reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for good governance, transparency, and policies that promote the welfare of Plateau youths and residents.
Signed:
Ishaya Ajiji
Director of Programmes
RICAM Think Tank
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, JULY 19TH 2026)
