Akpabio, others issued 7 days to disclose pensions received as ex-governors

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and other 13 former governors in the 10th Senate to disclose the total amount of life pensions, if any, that they have received from their states as former governors.

SERAP is also urging them to promptly clarify if they have collected and/or currently collecting life pensions as former governors from their respective states, to stop collecting any such pensions and return the pensions collected to the treasury.

There are fourteen former governors in the 10th Senate.

In the letter dated 3 June 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Your constitutional oath of office, under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) requires you to publicly reject and return any pensions.”

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SERAP said, “Public function means activities in the public interest, not against it. The alleged collection by former governors of life pensions from their respective states amounts to private self-interest. It is also detrimental to the public interest.”

The letter read in part: “Nigerians expect you to act in the public interest including by ending the collection of any life pensions from your respective states and returning any such pensions that may have been collected to the treasury.

“Collecting life pensions as former governors while in the Senate would clearly violate constitutional provisions and amount to taking advantage of entrusted public positions.

“Ending the practice of former governors in the Senate collecting life pensions from their states would improve public confidence in the integrity and honesty of the National Assembly. It would show that the Senate can focus on serving the public interest rather than looking after themselves.

“We urge you to emulate former Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki who stopped collecting life pensions as a former governor of Kwara State and described life pensions by former governors as “immoral”, following a request by SERAP.

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“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and other members of the Senate to comply with our request in the public interest.

“The country’s international legal obligations especially under the UN Convention against Corruption also impose a legal commitment on public officials including former governors in the Senate to discharge a public duty truthfully and faithfully.

“Life pensions for former governors serving as senators are entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the constitutional oath of office and the object and purpose of the UN Convention against Corruption, which implicitly prohibits large severance benefits for public officials such as former governors.