Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has informed President Bola Tinubu to follow the foot steps of Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, by immediately obeying the judgment ordering the Federal Government to recover pensions collected by former governors and their deputies.
SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
On March 21, Otti signed the Abia State of Nigeria Governors and Deputy Governors Pension Repeal Law of 2024, which prohibited former governors and deputies in the state from receiving pension payments.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on his Friday visit to the governor’s country home in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of the state, described the pension payments as outrageous and a daylight robbery.
While reacting to the development, SERAP called on Tinubu’s administration to obey the judgment, dated 26 November, 2019, delivered by Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo mandating formers governors and their deputies to refund pension paid to them.
“Justice Oguntoyinbo also granted ‘AN ORDER of mandamus compelling and directing the Attorney General to urgently institute appropriate legal actions to challenge the legality of states’ laws permitting former governors, serving as senators and ministers to enjoy governors’ emoluments while drawing normal salaries and allowances in their new political offices.
“Justice Oguntoyinbo also indicated that double emoluments for former governors are unacceptable, unconstitutional and illegal.
“We urge you to emulate the good example of governor Otti by urgently obeying the judgment, something which former president Muhammadu Buhari blatantly failed to do.
“Unless the judgment is immediately obeyed, former governors and their deputies, including those now serving as ministers in your administration and members of the National Assembly who receive pensions would continue to evade justice for their actions,” SERAP said.
