At least 14 serving Nigerian senators are said to be getting “double pay” as lawmakers and former governors of their states.
This was also confirmed in an open letter written by a former governor of Ogun state, Senator Gbenga Daniel who expressed dissatisfaction on the issue, tackling his fellow lawmakers for their lack of empathy to the wails of poor masses.
Hence, in his letter, Daniel has called for the suspension of his pension as a former governor while he serves and earns in the Senate.
Daniel stated in a letter dated June 14th that getting a pension as a governor and pay as a senator violates his moral principles and ethical code.
The letter read “I write to request for the suspension of my monthly pension/allowances of 676,376.95 (gross) (Six Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand, Three Hundred Seventy-Six Naira, Ninety-Five Kobo) being paid as a former Executive Governor of Ogun State.
“This request is in compliance with my conscience, moral principle and ethical code against double emoluments that a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who hitherto was a former State Governor, shall not be entitled to the payment of pension and allowances from such State.
“It would be recalled that on Tuesday 13th June 2023, I was, with other elected Senators and Members of the House of Representatives, inaugurated as members of the 10th National Assembly.
“It is pertinent to also have it on record that since I left the office in 2011, I have not benefited from any welfare packages be it medical, furniture, transportation, etc”
Apart from Daniel, other former governors currently in the Senate include Senate President, Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom State); Adams Oshiomhole (Edo State); Adamu Aliero (Kebbi State); Dave Umahi (Ebonyi State); Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto State); and Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger State).
Others are: Ibrahim Danwkambo (Gombe State); Danjuma Goje (Gombe State); Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara State); Gbenga Daniel (Ogun State); Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto State); Orji Kalu (Abia State); Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe State); and Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa State).”
Many of the states that provide exorbitant life pensions to previous governors (and their deputies) still owe workers’ paychecks and are among the poorest in the country.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) recently challenged Akpabio and the other 13 former governors to reveal the exact amount of life pensions, if any, received from their states as former governors.
The group also urged them to stop collecting any such pensions and return the pensions collected to the treasury.
SERAP had said the lawmakers’ constitutional oath of office, under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) “requires you to publicly reject and return any pensions.
Sahara Reporters
