A Representative Hopeful in Montserrado County Electoral District number # 9 Mohammed A. Ware, says, a proposed retirement bill submitted by the Senate Judiciary Committee which was to allow the government to pay some public officials a pension annuity that is equal to 50% of the highest gross salary is evil .
In the Senate Judiciary Committee's propose retirement bill, the money would then be paid in equal monthly installments, provided that the official including law makers who has served his or her term and honorably retired to private life, and is not in any way gainfully employed by the government.
In the position of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Pro-tempore, President, Vice President, Chief Justice, and all Associate Justices, as well as circuit court judges, were the ones expected to benefit from the 50% monthly pension annuity.
But for Senators and Representatives, the monthly annuity is however determined by terms factors: the longer they stay, the higher it gets. And in the time of death, the surviving spouse of the deceased official could then become eligible for a pension and entitled to receive an annuity equal to 50% of the pension annuity, as it would have been done during the life of the said spouse.
If there is no spouse, the annuity provided for the surviving spouse shall be paid in equal proportion to each of the children of the deceased officials until age 21.
The clause does not cover Senators, Representatives, Associate Justices Circuit Court, and Specialized Court Judges, but benefits the Chief Justice.
The Chief Justice's surviving spouse however would then become eligible to receive an annuity equal to 25% of the pension Annuity of the Chief Justice during the natural life of the said spouse.
Speaking at a welcome ceremony from the United States of America in Sinkor organized by a political group call Friends of "Mohammed A. Ware" of over the weekend, Mr. Ware maintains that such bill is not only evil, but it will create unnecessary financial burden on the Liberian Government.
He indicated that it is unfair or un just for a lawmaker to even have notion that they are supposed to think of benefiting any retirement package but only Civil Servant or other public workers including Chief Justice and associate justices the Vice President and President.
According to him, as for law makers like Representatives they are elected for six and Senators are elected nine years tenure and if after their tenure they go for reelections and they lost, they should go home, and not for them to think about anything call retirement.
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"If I am elected, in the 2023 Legislative and Presidential elections I will do all within my power to lobby for the reduction of law makers' salaries" Representative Hopeful Mohammed Ware said.
He however, called residents of Electoral District number # 9 to remains united for the growth and development of the district and do away with vices that may have the propensity to cause confusion among them because of political difference, adding, " no matter what we are all residents of Electoral District number # 9"
Montserrado Electoral District number # 9 is an electoral district for the elections to the House of Representatives of Liberia that covers the Monrovia communities of ICA Camp, Pyne People, Fiama, Fiama East, Fish Market, Gbangaye Town, Wroto Town, Raymond Field, Central Lakpazee, Old Matadi and New Matadi, as well as the eastern parts of Cooper Clinic and Ocean View Communities.
The 12th Street constitutes the boundary between Montserrado County Electoral District numbers -# 8.
