Popular human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and other former governors in the executive and legislature to reject the payment of “illegal pension.”
The Senior Advocate Of Nigeria who made the call in a statement on Sunday recalled how former Governors Gbenga Daniel, and Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, requested Ogun and Gombe States, respectively, to stop paying them pensions as soon as they became Senators.
Falana further lauded the Senators for taking such steps at a time when not less than 20 former governors in the executive and legislative branches of government are receiving double salaries.
“In a landmark judgment delivered on November 26 2019, Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo (now retired) declared the payment of the pension illegal and unconstitutional.
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“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,” the statement read in part.
Information Nigeria understands that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), in suit number FHC/L/CS/1497/2017, filed against the Attorney-General of the Federation) at the Federal High Court, challenged the constitutional validity of the pension paid to former governors in Nigeria.
