Senate President Bukola Saraki
has called on house of assemblies to take a cue from Kwara and pass their own
versions of the bill suspending payment of pension to former governors and
deputy governors.
Kwara assembly passed the bill on
Tuesday.
In a statement on Wednesday, Saraki
commended Ali Ahmad, speaker of the assembly, for working to pass the bill.
The nation’s number three citizen
said he influenced the action of the lawmakers.
“I am pleased that following my
conversation with Kwara speaker, Rt. Hon. Ali Ahmad, two months ago, the bill
to suspend the payment of pension to former governors and their deputies when
they hold a political or public office was passed into law yesterday by the
Kwara house of assembly,” Saraki said.
“Moving forward, it is my hope
that other state assemblies take a cue from Kwara state and pass similar pieces
of legislation into law.”
Saraki, who governed Kwara
between 2003 and 2011, was criticised for collecting pension from the state
government.
Last year, the senate president
said he had written a letter to the government to stop paying him pension.
“I’m not collecting pension; the
moment I saw that allegation, I wrote to my state to stop my pension,” he had
said in an interview.
“So, I speak for myself on that
part; I’m not doing that, I am not receiving pension from my state.”
The Socio-Economic Rights and
Accountability Project (SERAP) had asked Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of
the federation, to take legal action against former governors, who are now
either senators or ministers so as to recover an alleged N40bn earned in double
payment.
SERAP listed Rabiu Kwankwaso,
Godswill Akpabio, Theodore Orji, Abdullahi Adamu, Sam Egwu, Shaaba Lafiagi, are
among former governors receiving double emoluments and large severance benefits
from their states.
Others named are Joshua Dariye,
Jonah Jang, Ahmed Sani Yarima, Danjuma Goje, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Adamu Aliero,
George Akume, Biodun Olujimi, Enyinaya Harcourt Abaribe, Rotimi Amaechi, Kayode
Fayemi, Chris Ngige and Babatunde Fashola.
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