Beyond his directive to the Kwara State government to stop paying him pensions, Senate President Bukola Saraki should refund the pension he received since 2007, Lagos lawyer Femi Falana counselled yesterday.
Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said it will still be immoral for the formal Kwara governor to admit collecting double salaries without returning what he had illegally earned after leaving office.
In a statement, the activist lawyer, however, lauded the senator for admitting the error, urging other ex-governors, now serving as lawmakers and members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to take a cue from Saraki.
He also said it was wrong of the former governor to hold on to the house built for him in the Federal Capital City (FCT), Abuja, at a time he was allegedly collecting housing allowance as the Senate President.
Falana said: “Since Dr. Saraki has come to the conclusion that the collection of the pension is immoral he is advised to refund the pension he had collected from the Kwara State government since he became a Senator in June 2007.
“He should also relinquish the house bought for him in Abuja by the Kwara State government since he is said to receive housing allowance as President of the Senate.”
Falana’s statement entitled: “All ex-governors should emulate Dr. Bukola Saraki”, reads: “The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki announced last week that he had stopped collecting pension as a former governor of Kwara State following the protest by the Socio-Economic and Accountability Project (SERAP).
“According to the Senate leader, the moment his attention was drawn to the allegation of the payment of double salaries he wrote to the Kwara State government to stop the payment of his pension. In like manner, three serving ministers in the Buhari administration who are former governors have disclosed that they are not being paid pension from any the state government.
“Other ministers and legislators who are former governors and deputy governors should speak out so that Nigerians can know the public officers who are involved in the illegal collection of pension from stste governments and salaries from the Federal Government pat the same time.
“Apart from writing to the Kwara State government to stop further payment of the pension due to him under the former governors’ pension law of Kwara State, Dr. Saraki decided to contribute to the debate on double payment of salaries by some ex-governors.
“In condemning such payment, Dr. Saraki stated that ‘morally, if you have got another job, you should give it up until when you are truly a pensioner. Some of these oversights are not addressing the issues. What the states should do is to go and amend their laws to say that if you have another appointment then you are not entitled to that benefit. With this, we will just simplify the matter’.
“With respect, the proposed amendment of the obnoxious laws will not ‘simplify the matter’.
“However, while Dr. Saraki is commended for demonstrating leadership by example with respect to the illegal collection of the ex-governors’ pension he should proceed to use his position as the President of the Senate to prevail on the 20 other senators who are former governors and deputy-governors to stop further collecting pension from their state governments since they are currently receiving jumbo salaries and allowances from t National Assembly.
However, Dr. Saraki’s call on the houses of assembly of the states to amend the laws to stop the payment of pension to ex-governors who are receiving salaries from the federal government either as senators or ministers has not addressed the immorality and illegality of the payment.
“In fact, the popular demand of the Nigerian people is that the scandalous pension laws be repealed in toto as there is no legal or moral basis for paying the salaries of a sitting governor to former governors and then provide them with vehicles and two houses, one in the state capital and another one in the FCT, more so, that majority of the states are owing workers arrears of salaries.
Finally, the members of the Lagos State House of Assembly are alleged to have concluded plans to amend the ex-Governors’ Pension Law with a view to extending the largesse to the principal officers of the legislative body.
“The legislators should jettison the dangerous plan. Since majority of the legislators claim to be Awoists it is pertinent to remind them that while he was the Premier of the Western region the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo lived in his personal house at Okebola Ibadan.
“The tradition of personal sacrifice by political leaders in Nigeria continued up to the second republic. Hence, Alhaji Lateef Jakande lived in his Ilupeju residence and rode his private car while he was governor of Lagos State for four years. What then is the justification for buying two houses for former governors in the same state?”
