A rights group today called on President Bola Tinubu to stop the payment of pensions to former governors and their deputies.
The organisation – Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in 2017 filed a suit seeking the repeal of pensions for former governors and their deputies across all states of the federation, reports Channels TV.
In 2019, Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos State, ordered the Federal Government to recover pensions collected by former governors serving as ministers and members of the National Assembly.
According to a statement, SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the court ruling was “blatantly” turned down by the administration of former President Muhammadu Bahari.
The group wants President Tinubu to follow the footsteps of Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, who on March 21 signed the Abia State of Nigeria Governors and Deputy Governors Pension Repeal Law of 2024, which prohibited former governors and deputies in the state from receiving pension payments.
SERAP urged Tinubu “to emulate the good example of Governor Alex Otti of Abia State by immediately obeying the judgment ordering the Federal Government to recover pensions collected by former governors, and to challenge the legality of states’ pension laws permitting those involved to collect such outrageous pensions.”
“We urge you to emulate the good example of Governor Otti by urgently obeying the judgment, something which former President Muhammadu Buhari blatantly failed to do,” the statement read.
“The judgment, dated 26 November 2019 was delivered by Honourable Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo following a suit by SERAP.
“Unless the judgment is immediately obeyed, former governors and their deputies including those now serving as ministers in your administration and members of the National Assembly who receive pensions would continue to evade justice for their actions.”
It stated that “immediately obeying the judgment would show the sovereignty of the rule of law in Nigeria and go a long way in protecting the integrity of the country’s legal system.
“Obeying the judgment would also show you as a defender of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended), the rule of law, and public interest within government.
“Nigeria’s democracy needs courts so that public officials and private actors including former governors and their deputies collecting life pensions, exotic cars and other allowances from their states can be held accountable for any infraction of Nigerian laws.”
