Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and other 13 former governors in the 10th Senate to disclose the total amount of life pensions, if any, that have been received from their states as former governors.”
SERAP is also urging them to “promptly clarify if they have collected and/or currently collecting life pensions as former governors from their respective states, to stop collecting any such pensions and return the pensions collected to the treasury.”
There are fourteen former governors in the 10th Senate.
In the letter dated 3 June 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation 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.”
SERAP said, “‘Public function’ means activities in the public interest, not against it. The alleged collection by former governors of life pensions from their respective states amount to private self-interest. It is also detrimental to the public interest.”
“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.”
