Abia rulers seek Assembly's help for higher pay

TRADITIONAL rulers in Abia State have taken their quest for higher salary to the House of Assembly where they sought for a two per cent increase on the present three per cent of their monthly allocation from the local council statutory revenue.They said the new rate of five per cent would make their allocation to be at par with their counterparts in other states.The monarchs made the request through the Chairman of the Abia Traditional Rulers' Council, Eze John Akaliro, who led them to meet the principal officers of the House.Akaliro said the upward review of their monthly stipends would be in line with the economic realities after the oil subsidy removal.Putting their salary at N15,000 per month, the monarchs urged the lawmakers to back their demand, saying, 'we are constrained to request for the upward review of the monthly stipends payable to traditional rulers in Abia State from three per cent to five per cent as applicable in other states of the federation.'With the salary increment of civil /public servants and partial removal of oil subsidy with the attendant skyrocketing prices of commodities, you will agree with us that the three per cent monthly allocation to the traditional rulers is not more than N15,000. That is what we get monthly.'We shall be eternally grateful to you for rectifying this abnormality because it was the House that legislated against our five per cent before. And that three per cent makes it impossible even for us to fuel our cars and entertain our guests. Some of you may come to us when you leave here. So, please be sympathetic to us'.The Speaker, Ude Oko Chukwu, commended their peaceful agitation and assured that the House would consider their request.'Whatever we can do to make you comfortable, we will do it', he said.
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