Monrovia, Liberia – The Plenary of the Liberian Senate has finally passed the controversial integrated pension and benefits scheme for certain top officials of Government.
The passage of the pension and benefits scheme followed a motion from Lofa County Senator Joseph Jallah, after a report was presented by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, headed by Senator Varney Sherman of Grand Cape Mount.
The bill brought forth by the Senate Committee on Judiciary seeks to repeal and or amend certain portions of Title 19, Legislative Act, Title 12, Executive Law of Liberia, and Title 17, the Judiciary Law (1972), as amended in 2003.
It will now provide pension to the President and Vice President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives, Pro Temp and Members of the Liberian Senate, Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia, as well Judges of the Circuit and Specialized Courts, who honorably retired to private life and in no way gainfully employed by the Government.
The instrument also stated that Speaker of the House of Representatives, who honorably retired to private life shall receive 50% of his last salary per annual as pension benefits paid in equal monthly installments with similar applied to the President, Vice President, Deputy Speaker, Protempore, Justices among others.
It can be recorded that thirteen Senators out of twenty voted in favor while four esteem and three senators did not participate in the process.
Senators who esteem include: James Biney, Maryland county, Commedy Wesseh, River Gee County Gboto Kanneh, Gbarpolu County and Henrie Togbah Bong county.
Senators who said No to the passage of the instrument include: Abraham Darius Dillon, Montserrado County, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence Grand Bassa, and Jonathan Boycharles Sogbie , River Gee County.
Senators were not absent during the discussion at the Senate include:
Prince Y. Johnson, Nimba County, Jeremiah Loan Koung Nimba, Prince Moye Bong county, Morris Saytumah, Bomi County, Edwin Melvin. Snowe Bomi County, and Jonathan Kaipay Grand Bassa.
