Falana urges ex-Govs to forfeit their pensions to provide funds for states
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Rights activist Femi Falana, SAN has urged other former Governors to stop collecting their pension as done by Senators Gbenga Daniel (Ogun) and Ibrahim Danwambo (Gombe) so their states would have more funds to cater for poor citizens.
Falana, who chairs Alliance on Surviving Covid 19 and Beyond, said all former Governors who become lawmakers or are appointed into government positions ought to obey the court order which bars them from collecting double emoluments.
Both Daniel and Danwambo went on to become Senators after they left governorship posts.
Two of the other prominent former Governors now in the federal executive or National Assembly (NASS) are President Bola Tinubu (Lagos) and Senate President Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom).
“In suit number FHC/L/CS/1497/2017 (Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) v Attorney-General of the Federation) filed at the Federal High Court, the plaintiff challenged the constitutional validity of the scandalous pension paid to former governors in Nigeria,” Falana said in a statement.
“In a landmark judgment delivered on November 26 2019, Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo (now retired) declared the payment of the pension illegal and unconstitutional.
“Consequently, the court ordered the Accountant-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to recover the life pensions collected by former governors serving as Senators and Ministers.
“Similarly, in suit NO: NICN/JOS/26/2016 (Alhaji Garba Umar v Taraba State Government) Justice K. I. Amadi of the National Industrial Court declared as null and void the payment of pension and gratuity to former governors and deputy governors. The pension was provided for in Taraba State Governor and Deputy Governor’s Pension Law 2015.”
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Compliance with court order
“In compliance with both judgments, Senators Gbenga Daniel and Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo have requested the governors of Ogun and Gombe States, respectively, to stop paying them the scandalous pension,” Falana added, per Vanguard.
“This is highly commendable at a time when [no fewer] than 20 former governors in the executive and legislative branches of government are receiving double salaries
“In view of the foregoing, we call on Senator Akpabio and other former governors in the executive and legislature to emulate the example of Senators Daniel and Dankwambo by rejecting the payment of the illegal pension forthwith.”
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