Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, “to join us in promoting and supporting legislative measures to redirect public funds spent to provide life pensions to former governors for the benefi t of the most marginalised and disadvantaged Nigerians, rather than issuing threat of legal action against us for exposing the existence of unfair and discriminatory life pensions states’ laws.” Th e organisation said: “Dr Fayemi’s dramatic accusation regarding the content of our letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, is unjustifi ed, especially given that the law allowing pensions for governors in Ekiti was passed and/ or facilitated and retained during his tenure as governor of the state.
Th e minister’s threat can only serve to undermine legitimate eff orts to promote transparency, accountability and sustainable development in Nigeria.” SERAP’s statement came after Fayemi, last week, in a statement accused SERAP of embarrassing him by adding his name to the list of governors receiving double pay and life pensions while also receiving salaries and other emoluments as either senators or ministers. Fayemi also gave SERAP seven days to retract the statement or face legal action. But SERAP in a statement yesterday by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni said: “As a former pro-democracy
activist, Dr Fayemi is well-known to us but we do not agree with the accusation that our letter targets the minister or intends to embarrass him in any way shape or form. Our objectives remain to promote the abolition of those obnoxious states’ laws, which seek to allow former governors to receive life pensions either now or in the future when friendly governments are in place in their states, and to secure full recovery of public funds.” Th e letter read in part: “Th e problems of former governors receiving double pay and life pensions are real governance issues and deserve serious attention. Th ese have to be put in the context of the allegation that state governors have over the years stolen in excess of N1 trillion including bailout funds meant for the payment of workers and pensioners’ salaries and entitlements in their states. By threatening legal action against SERAP on the matters, Dr Fayemi’s statement provides little more than unhelpful distraction.
