Society
“Not Less Than 20 Ex-Govs Including Senate President Akpabio Receiving Double Salaries” – Falana
in the executive and legislative branches of government
Femi Falani, the Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond says not less than twenty former governors in the different branches of government, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, are receiving double salaries.
The Senior lawyer pointed out the development while drawing attention to the fact that different courts have declared the acts illegal.
Falana who praised Senators Gbenga Daniel and Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo for abiding with court orders and rejecting the “scandalous pensions” wrote….
In suit number FHC/L/CS/1497/2017 (Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) v Attorney-General of the Federation) filed at the Federal High Court, the plaintiff challenged the constitutional validity of the scandalous pension paid to former governors in Nigeria.
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.
In compliance with both judgments, Senators Gbenga Daniel and Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo have requested the governors of Ogun and Gombe States, respectively, to stop paying them the scandalous pension.
This 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
In view of the foregoing, we call on Senator Akpabio and other former governors in the executive and legislature to emulate the example of Senators Daniel and Dankwambo by rejecting the payment of the illegal pension forthwith.
Femi Falana SAN,
The Chair,
Alliance on Surviving
Covid 19 and Beyond
