Sanwo-Olu stirs hornet’s nest, to abolish pensions for Tinubu, others

• Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, may be biting more than he can chew following his plans to abolish pension for former governors of the state, including the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu.

While presenting the 2021 budget estimates to the State house of Assembly for approval, Sanwo-Olu said he would soon present an executive bill to the State House of Assembly abolishing payment of pensions and other entitlements to former governors and their deputies.

The abolition of pension will affect former governors Bola Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode, Lateef Jakande and others.

The governor said the move was in the light of keeping the costs of governance low and to signal selflessness in public service.

He added the his government would be sending a draft executive bill to the House imminently for the repeal of the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension Law 2007), which provides for payment of pension and other entitlements to former Governors and their Deputies.

Sanwo-Olu said it was his administration’s firm belief that with dwindling revenues and the appurtenant inflationary growth rates, that there was need to come up with innovative ways of keeping the costs of governance at a minimum while engendering a spirit of selflessness in public service.

In his words: “Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members of the House, in light of keeping the costs of governance low and to signal selflessness in public service, we will be sending a draft executive bill to the House imminently for the repeal of the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension Law 2007), which provides for payment of pension and other entitlements to former Governors and their Deputies.

“It is our firm belief that with dwindling revenues and the appurtenant inflationary growth rates, that we need to come up with innovative ways of keeping the costs of governance at a minimum while engendering a spirit of selflessness in public service.”