SOCIO-ECONOMIC Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to stop former governors, currently serving as ministers, from collecting life pensions, luxury vehicles and other allowances in their states.
It equally pleaded with the affected Nigerians to refund the life perks they may have taken since leaving office. The beneficiary ex-governors are: Badaru Abubakar; Nyesom Wike; Bello Matawalle; Adegboyega Oyetola; David Umahi; Simon Lalong; Atiku Bagudu and Ibrahim Geidam.
In a letter dated August 19, 2023 and signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the group argued that the collection “is implicitly forbidden by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the country’s international legal obligations.”
SERAP added: “You (Tinubu) would be acting in the public interest by stopping former governors, now serving as ministers in your government, from collecting life pensions, especially given the current grave economic realities in the country.
“If the ministers that the President appoints are those, who collect life pensions rather than serve the public interest, then that may show little about their conduct and integrity, and also speaks volumes about the exercise of presidential power of appointment.”
It lamented that many pensioners are not paid their entitlements, yet ex-governors holding executive powers get paid huge severance benefits.
SERAP continued: “The exercise of your power of appointment ought to reflect ethical and constitutional safeguards and requirements, and the fundamental principles of integrity and honesty.
“Stopping the former governors from collecting double emoluments would be entirely consistent with the proper exercise of your constitutional power to appoint ministers.”
