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The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and other 13 former governors in the 10th Senate were yesterday charged to disclose the total amount of life pensions, if any, that have been received from their states as former governors.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) made the request through a statement issued by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
Referring to its letter dated June 3, 2023, the group further called on Akpabio alongside others to clarify if they have collected and/or currently collecting life pensions as former governors from their respective states, and to stop collecting any such pensions and return the pensions collected to the treasury.
SERAP which revealed that there are fourteen former governors in the 10th Senate, said, “Your 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.
“Public function means activities in the public interest, not against it. The alleged collection by former governors of life pensions from their respective states amounts to private self-interest. It is also detrimental to the public interest”.
The letter read in part: “Nigerians expect you to act in the public interest, including by ending the collection of any life pensions from your respective states and returning any such pensions that may have been collected to the treasury.
“Collecting life pensions as former governors while in the Senate would violate constitutional provisions and amount to taking advantage of entrusted public positions.
“Ending the practice of former governors in the Senate collecting life pensions from their states would improve public confidence in the integrity and honesty of the National Assembly. It would show that the Senate can focus on serving the public interest rather than looking after themselves.
“We urge you to emulate former Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki who stopped collecting life pension as a former governor of Kwara State and described life pensions by former governors as “immoral”, following a request by SERAP.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and other members of the Senate to comply with our request in the public interest.”
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