SERAP asks Akpabio to withdraw former governors’ pension bill

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), in a statement on Tuesday, critised the N100 million Pension Bill passed by the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly for former governors of the state, describing it as “immoral, unfair, unconstitutional, unreasonable, and a rip-off on a massive scale.”

The state assembly had, on Monday, passed the bill which provided a life pension at a rate equivalent to the salary of the incumbent governor for former governors and former deputy governors.

It also provides for former governors, a provision of funds to employ a cook, chauffeurs and security guards at a sum not exceeding  N5 million per month, and N2.5 million for former governors and their deputies.

In its reaction via a statement signed by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, SERAP said: “Akwa Ibom must be the only place on the planet where such pension scheme exists’’.

“Governor Godswill Akpabio must now put Akwa Ibom ahead of his own personal bank balance by immediately withdrawing this bill.”

The group urged Nigerians not to be made to “subsidise these bloated pensions and clearly undeserved perks’’.

According SERAP, signing the bill into law would amount to fundamental breach of the governor’s constitutional oath declaration to serve the interest of justice, transparency and accountability.

It said that the legislation would further impoverish the people of the state as they would be saddled with payment of unjust pensions for their political leaders.

“SERAP is appalled by this apparently unfair and discriminatory law,” the statement said. “There is absolutely no justification for such law at a time the pension systems across the country are in poor shape, and pensioners continue to be denied the fruit of their labour.

“The governor cannot lawfully give to himself a steady stream of public funds for life at a time millions of pensioners face cut to their pension schemes and remain in poverty without any state support.

It said that the initiative had undermined the professed fight against corruption by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

In the bill, as passed, the former governors would also be entitled to free medical services for his person and spouse at a sum not exceeding N100 million per annum and N50 million for former deputy governor.

The bill also sought to provide for former governors a befitting accommodation not below a five-bed room maisonette in either Abuja or Akwa Ibom.

It also provided for yearly accommodation allowance of 300 per cent of annual basic salary for the deputy governors of the state.

It stipulated that former governors would also receive a severance gratuity of 300 per cent of annual basic salary as of the time the former leaves office among other things.