The Chairman of Alliance on
Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has appealed to the Senate
President, Godswill Akpabio, and other former governors to stop the collection
of pensions as ex-governor.
Falana, a human rights lawyer,
urged former governors to emulate Ogun State’s former governor, Gbenga Daniel,
and former Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo.
The senior lawyer stated that
since the Kwara, Imo, and Zamfara states Houses of Assembly had abolished the
Governors Pension Scheme, he admonished other Houses of Assembly to follow suit
without any further delay.
Falana, in a statement on Sunday, also made reference to the judgment delivered on November 26 2019 by Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo (retd.) declaring the payment of the pension to former governors as illegal and unconstitutional.
The plaintiff, an advocacy group,
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project had filed the suit against the
Attorney-General of the Federation) wherein it challenged the constitutional
validity of the pension paid to former governors in Nigeria.
Justice Oguntoyinbo had in
judgment in a suit marked number FHC/L/CS/1497/2017, declared the payment of
the pension illegal and unconstitutional. Consequently, 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.
Falana noted that in compliance
with both judgments, Daniel and
Dankwambo had requested the governors of Ogun and Gombe States,
respectively, to stop paying them the scandalous pension.
Falana said, “This is highly
commendable at a time when not less 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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