Pensions for Akpabio, Oshiomhole, others must be stopped – Falana

Human rights crusader Femi Falana has urged the president of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and other former governors-turned-legislators to desist from collecting pensions in their different states. According to Falana, “not less than 20 former governors in the executive and legislative branches of government are receiving double salaries.”

He therefore urged “Senator Akpabio and other former governors”… “to emulate the example of Senators Daniel and Dankwambo by rejecting the payment of the illegal pension forthwith.” The renowned lawyer mentioned Gbenga Daniel (Ogun State) and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe) as two of the former governors who willingly stopped receiving pensions from their states after becoming legislators. He added that state legislative assemblies in Kwara, Imo, and Zamfara states have since stopped the practice, thereby urging others to follow suit.

Falana also lauded a recent ruling delivered by Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo (retd.), which declared pension payments to former governors as illegal and unconstitutional. The suit, filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the Attorney-General of the Federation, sought to quash the practice. In her ruling, Justice Oguntoyinbo

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.