No less than 14 incumbent senators, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, will get pensions and other benefits totaling N5.6 billion from their states for the term of the 10th Senate, barring a change of heart by the beneficiaries.
None of the other 14 senators have openly abstained from gorging on the little resources of the state, with the exception of Senator Gbenga Daniel, the former governor of Ogun State, who has asked to be spared from pension benefits.
Besides the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), other beneficiaries of ex-governors’ pensions are: Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Ibrahim-Hassan Dankwambo (Gombe), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto), Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe), Danjuma Goje (Gombe) and Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger).
According to a study, past governors often get N100 million each year, which includes 100% of the present governors’ base pay, which the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) estimates to be N11.54 million.
Furniture, 30% of the yearly base salary, two brand-new cars every four years, housing anywhere in the nation, free medical care for the former governor and his immediate family, cooks, stewards, utility, drivers, and security are all included in their allowances.
In addition to their salary and various senate allowances, each of the 14 Senators would get N1.4 billion annually, for a total of N5.6 billion over the course of four years.
States like Lagos, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers have greater rates of lifetime generosity. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, introduced a bill to the state house of assembly in 2020 to abolish the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension Law 2007), which gave past governors and their appointees huge payments of pension and other benefits.
Stopping the pension, according to Sanwo-Olu, would lower the cost of government and demonstrate selflessness in public service.
But the Lagos State Assembly changed the law. It eliminated the provision of dwellings in Abuja and Lagos and cut the pension by 50%.
Former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, responded in a brief reply when asked if the President was still getting a pension from the Lagos State government: “Let your man in Alausa find out. I shouldn’t be discussing about official things because our executive council has been disbanded.
As of the time of publication, Dele Alake, the president’s spokeswoman, has not replied to a text message on the issue.
Because if the state pension legislation of 2014 were completely implemented, the state may be spending more than N600m on each ex-governor annually, Akpabio, the governor of Akwa Ibom, who signed the bill, explicitly set a ceiling on the pension and allowances for ex-governors at N200m annually.
According to the law, the ex-governor receives N2,223,705.00 annually as well as N26,684,460.00 in pension; a new official car and utility vehicle every four years; one personal aide; and adequate security throughout his lifetime at the state government’s expense. He also receives N5 million, or the equivalent of $50,000 per month, to hire a cook, a chauffeur, and security guards; and free medical care up to N100 million, or the equivalent of $6. In Abuja or Akwa Ibom, one home with no fewer than five bedrooms, Every four years, furniture is worth 300 percent of the base pay.
In Rivers State, a former governor is entitled to three brand-new automobiles every four years as well as limitless free medical treatment.100% of the current governor’s basic yearly income, housing in any location in Nigeria, Furniture: 300 percent of the basic yearly wage paid “en bloc” every four years.
10% of the annual base wage is allocated to housekeeping. Cook, steward, gardener, and other domestic personnel (there is no cap), who are not eligible for pensions. protection includes two SSS agents, four police officers (two for personal and home protection), and a personal assistant (PA) who is paid 25% of the yearly base wage. 30% of the annual base wage is spent on car upkeep.
Samuel Ortom brought a bill to the House of Assembly in the latter months of his term as governor of Benue State providing for ex-governors to receive an annual pension of N138.49 million.
A state like Gombe, however, added 30 days of yearly leave outside of Nigeria as well as estacode for the former governor and his wife. As the state’s governor, Senator Goje signed the legislation.
Senator Gbenga Daniel, a former governor of Ogun State, decided to stop his state pension, which has placed pressure on the other 13 former governors in the 10th Senate to do the same.
By making this choice, Daniel has bowed to public pressure encouraging political office holders receiving double wages to stop doing so.
Report claimed that several ministers and National Assembly members in past regimes have come under fire for receiving pensions while also earning government salary as a result of their political posts.
Daniel, who represents Ogun East Constituency, asked the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, in a letter dated June 14, 2023, to suspend his monthly pension with immediate effect.
While praising Daniel for acting “rightly,” Kolawole Oluwadare, the Deputy Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), urged him to return every kobo he has received as pension since leaving office in 2011 and work with other members of the National Assembly to pass a law repealing pension laws for former governors.
He claims that a Federal High Court ruling from years ago that forbade life benefits for former governors is still in effect.
“Public service law is very clear,” he declared. No public officer is permitted to do this, according to paragraph 2a of the code of conduct for public officers in the fifth schedule, Part 1, of the 1999 Constitution.
Without limiting the breadth of the preceding sentence, it states that public officials are not permitted to accept or pay emoluments for one public office and emoluments for another at the same time.
Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the Federal Government were sued by the organization in May of this year for allegedly failing to recoup over N40 billion in pensions awarded to former governors who were also senators and ministers.
“I don’t know if any of the former governors at the 10th Senate have suspended his pension payment,” Daniel added. I requested the governor to suspend mine in a letter without being aware of any ruling or injunction against it.
Daniel, the governor of Ogun State from 2003 to 2011, stated that he could not continue to receive such a salary while maintaining a clear conscience.
However, if the proposal made by the state’s most recent governor, Samuel Ortom, is approved by the Benue State House of Assembly and implemented retroactively, Akume is expected to get N138.49 million annually as pension.
In April of this year, Ortom offered several items, including: a permanent residence, the provision of four automobiles every four years to the ex-governors and their deputies, and a monthly’stipend’ equal to the’salary’ of a sitting/incumbent governor. The state will pay for the servicing and upkeep of the vehicles.
In no less than 24 states, life pension legislation for former governors and other public officials has been approved. Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Delta, Ekiti, Kano, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Abia, Imo, Bayelsa, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Ondo, Ebonyi, Rivers, Niger, Kogi, and Katsina are among them.
To clarify whether they have received or are currently receiving life pensions from their respective states as former governors, SERAP has asked the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and 13 other former governors in the Senate. If they are, they are urged to stop receiving the pensions and return them to the treasury.
The group also requested that the former governors provide the entire amount of life pensions, if any, that they had received from their states after leaving office.
The Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which is a part of their constitutional oath of office, mandates them to publicly refuse and return any such pensions, according to a letter from SERAP dated June 3, 2023 and signed by Oluwadare.
The organization asserts that performing a public duty involves acting in the public interest, not against it, and that it is harmful for the public interest for past governors of the states to be getting pensions from those governments.
“Nigerians expect you to act in the public interest, including by ceasing to collect any life pensions from your respective states and returning any such pensions that may have been collected to the treasury,” the letter continues.
“Collecting life pensions as former governors while serving in the Senate would obviously be against the law and would be using public office for personal gain.
“The people would be more confident in the honesty and integrity of the National Assembly if the practice of former governors in the Senate receiving life pensions from their states were stopped. It would demonstrate the Senate’s ability to put the interests of the public above its own.
We implore you to follow in the footsteps of former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki, who ceased receiving life pensions while serving as governor of Kwara State and called life pensions received by past governors “immoral” in response to a request from SERAP.
“We appreciate it if the suggested actions are carried out within seven days of the letter’s receipt and/or publishing. If you have not responded by then, SERAP will take all necessary legal measures to compel you and the other senators to abide by our request in the interest of the public.
“Public officials, including former governors in the Senate, are legally obligated under the nation’s international legal duties, particularly under the UN Convention against Corruption, to perform a public duty honestly and sincerely.
The UN Convention against Corruption, which implicitly forbids large severance benefits for public officials like former governors, and the constitutional oath of office are both incompatible with life pensions for former governors who are now serving as senators.
According to the convention, such political office holders are required to encourage honesty, integrity, and accountability in the use of public resources, notably in paragraph 1 of article 8 of the convention.
It is unlawful for former governors serving in the National Assembly or ministers chosen by President Tinubu to continue earning pensions from their respective states, according to human rights attorney Mr. Femi Falana (SAN).
He stated that there is an active Federal High Court ruling prohibiting public officials from earning both wages and pensions, and that the ruling will be followed “this time around.”
You cannot be collecting a pension and a wage, Falana said over the phone. It is the subject of a ruling that hasn’t been overturned. It has legal effect for everyone who is impacted. SERAP has given us instructions on how to carry out the verdict this time. I’m referring about ministers who were formerly governors or former governors who are expected to be named ministers by this government, as well as current senators who are still in office and are receiving compensation from NASS.
When asked if he knew of any other Senators who had followed that directive, Falana responded, “No, other than Gbenga Daniel. He has pressed his colleagues to act morally and with integrity, but I contend that Senator Daniel’s position has transmitted the Federal High Court’s ruling, which is lawful and consistent. We are urging other affected senators to do the same.
The impacted senators and President Tinubu, according to Kolawole, are not exempt from SERAP’s findings, and Shettima is also not exempt from receiving pensions from their respective states.
In order to prevent former governors working in government from collecting double salary and life pensions, SERAP filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government in 2017 at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The NGO received a favorable ruling. In fact, the impacted governors were ordered to refund the money by Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo’s ruling.
Kolawole expressed regret that the ruling had not been carried out, saying: “Unfortunately, this is one of those democratic precedents that does not augur well for the rule of law. We must continue our advocacy efforts to ensure that the rule of law prevails in Nigeria because the ruling has not yet been put into effect and the validity of the pension law is still being contested.
The judiciary, which must have the authority to decide disputes between citizens and other government branches, should be obeyed by the administration.
