Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged all former governors now in the ninth Senate to publicly commit to stop collecting pensions from their states while they serve as senators. In a statement issued today by its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP also asked them to return ‘pensions’ already collected to the public treasury, and push for the abolition of double emoluments laws for former governors and deputies in their states.
Several of the 36 states have enacted pension-for-life laws for former governors and deputies. SERAP however said the leadership and members of the ninth Senate must now take meaningful steps to improve citizens’ trust and confidence in the Senate’s authority and ability to positively impact on their lives, by embracing the values of transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights.
SERAP said double pay and self-enrichment for ex-governors who are now senators have a corrosive effect on governance and the rights to quality education, adequate healthcare, clean water, and regular electricity supply.
It said payment of pensions to former governors in the Senate will continue to have an extremely negative effect on Nigeria’s development and the well-being of the population, particularly in the states with life pension laws. It said Life pension laws have depleted the public resources that would have been spent on the basic needs of Nigerians.”
Join our twitter community :
