Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and 13 other former governors in the 10th Senate to disclose the total amount of life pensions, if any, that have been received from their states as former governors.
SERAP also urged the ex-governors to clarify if they have collected or currently collecting life pensions as former governors from their respective states, adding that if they are, they should stop collecting any such pensions, and return the pensions collected to the treasury.
There are fourteen former governors in the 10th Senate.
In a letter dated June 3, 2023 and signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said that their constitutional oath of office, under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) requires them to publicly reject and return any pensions.
According to the organisation, public function’ means activities in the public interest, not against it, adding that the alleged collection by former governors of life pensions from their respective states amount to private self-interest and it is 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 pension as a former governor of Kwara State and described life pensions by former governors as “immoral”, following a request by SERAP.
“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.
“The convention specifically in paragraph 1 of article 8 requires you to promote integrity, honesty and responsibility in the management of public resources.”
Akpabio who was elected Senate President last week, is an ex-governor of Akwa Ibom State. He was governor between 2007 and 2015.