By Akinwale Kasali
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and other former Governors who are in the National Assembly to take a clue from Senators Gbenga Daniel and Ibrahim Dankwambo to forfeit their pension as former Governors .
A few days ago, Dankwambo, wrote to the Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, and asked for the suspension of his Pension as former Governor of the State. This has prompted the Human Rights Lawyer to call on others at the Executive and Legislative Arm of the Government to follow suit.
On the part of Daniel, he had, on becoming a Senator, written to Governor Dapo Abiodun to stop the payment of his Pension, citing the paucity of funds of the State Government as a major reason.
Falana, Chairman, Alliance on Surviving Covid 19 and Beyond, in a statement issued over the weekend commended Daniel and Dankwambo, and said that their action 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.
According to Falana, 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,” the statement read in part.
Falana has been vocal against the payment of pension to ex-governors, especially those elected as legislators or appointed in the Federal Executive after their tenures as governor.
Also, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, in suit number FHC/L/CS/1497/2017, filed against the Attorney-General of the Federation) at the Federal High Court, challenged the constitutional validity of the pension paid to former governors in Nigeria.
