The passage of a bill by the Kwara State House of Assembly stopping the payment of pension to former governors and their deputies whenever they are holding political or public offices is a new order and in the overall best interests of Nigerians. The bill was said to have been influenced by Dr. Bukola Saraki, a former governor of the state who is now the Senate President. It is imperative to charge the remaining House of Assembly in the country to take a cue from the Kwara State House of Assembly by passing their own versions of this bill to put a stop to the unconscionable bleeding of their state treasuries.
The bill stopping the payment of pension to former governors and their deputies in Kwara state was passed by the House of Assembly on Tuesday 27th February, 2018. Saraki subsequently issued a statement the next day to commend Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ali Ahmad, for working assiduously to ensure expeditiously passage of the bill. While Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State is expected to swiftly give his assent to this bill, the head of the National Assembly also deserves huge commendation for his rare demonstration of selflessness and fairness by influencing the action of the lawmakers. The statement issued by Saraki read: “I am pleased that following my conversation with Kwara Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ali Ahmad, two months ago, the bill to suspend the payment of pension to former governors and their deputies when they hold a political or public office was passed into law yesterday by the Kwara House of Assembly”. Saraki governed Kwara State from 2003 to 2011 and he has since been serving as a senator representing the Kwara Central senatorial district at the National Assembly.
The self-seeking design of some former governors to keep feeding already fattened cows was roundly condemned by Nigerians when it became public knowledge; but none of the concerned individuals thought it necessary to pay any attention to the yearning of the masses. There are currently not less than 20 serving senators that are earning salaries and allowances in the National Assembly and at the same time receiving pensions from their respective states either as former governors and deputy governors.
Senators in this category include Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso from Kano, Kabiru Gaya from Kano, Godswill Akpabio from Akwa Ibom, Theodore Orji from Abia and Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa. Others are Sam Egwu from Ebonyi, Shaaba Lafiagi from Kwara, Joshua Dariye from Plateau, Jonah Jang from Plateau, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko from Sokoto, Ahmed Sani Yarima from Zamfara, Danjuma Goje from Gombe, Bukar Abba Ibrahim from Yobe, Adamu Aliero from Kebbi and George Akume from Benue. The former deputy governors who are now representing their districts as senators are Biodun Olujimi from Ekiti and Enyinaya Abaribe from Abia. Danladi Abubakar Sani who once served as the Acting Governor of Taraba State is also a serving senator in this category. They should all kick against double payments.
Meanwhile, the double payments suspension bill being advocated by Kwara State also concerns former governors who are now serving ministers in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari. The affected former governors are Dr. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Steel, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, Transport Minister and Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Minister for Power, Works and Housing. It is left to be seen if any of these over-privileged senators and ministers earning double payments will in good conscience rationalise this abnormality. There is just no way that these categories of unjustifiable double earning public office holders will not in the inner recesses of their minds give credit to those agitating for a change in the status quo.
The pension law in favour of former governors and their deputies in Akwa Ibom State provides for them the equivalent of the salaries of the sitting governor as their monthly pension. The pension package equally includes a new official car and a utility vehicle every four years; in addition to one personal aide, a cook, chauffeurs and security guards for the governor at a sum not exceeding N5 million per month and N2.5 million for the deputy governor. The situation is not any different in other states of the federation. The monetary compensation and the total package for former governors and their deputies is even far more humongous in financially buoyant states like Lagos. Bearing the fact of the opulence of former governors and the impoverished populace in mind, the call for the suspension of double payments is as justifiable and as it is reasonable. Corruption in its wide concept cannot be divorced from this kind of shameful, greedy and personal aggrandizement at the expense of badly needed infrastructure and regular payments of workers’ salaries.
Sani writes from Ilorin, Kwara state
