{"id":15618,"date":"2017-07-17T12:14:53","date_gmt":"2017-07-17T11:14:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalwire.com.ng\/?p=15618"},"modified":"2017-07-17T12:14:53","modified_gmt":"2017-07-17T11:14:53","slug":"serap-fg-sue-ex-govs-now-senators-ministers-n40bn-double-pay-life-pensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalwire.com.ng\/sub\/serap-fg-sue-ex-govs-now-senators-ministers-n40bn-double-pay-life-pensions\/","title":{"rendered":"SERAP to FG: Sue ex-govs now senators, ministers over N40bn double pay, life pensions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN urging him to use his \u201cgood offices as a defender of public interest, and exercise your powers under Section 174(1) of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), to urgently institute appropriate legal actions to challenge the legality of states\u2019 laws permitting former governors, who are now senators and ministers to enjoy governors\u2019 emoluments while drawing normal salaries and allowances in their new political offices.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The organization also asked Mr Malami to \u201cseek full recovery of over N40bn of public funds that have so far been received from those involved; and to begin to take these steps within 7 days of the receipt and\/or publication of this letter, failing which SERAP will institute legal proceedings to compel the discharge of constitutional duty and full compliance with Nigeria\u2019s international anticorruption obligations and commitments.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In the letter dated 14 July 2017 and signed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni the organization said that, \u201cPublic interest is not well served when government officials such as former governors, deputies supplement their emoluments in their current positions with life pensions and emoluments drawn from their states\u2019 meagre resources, and thereby prioritising their private or personal interests over and above the greatest happiness of the greatest number.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The letter read in part: \u201cSERAP considers double emoluments for serving public officials unlawful, as the laws granting those benefits take governance away from the arena of public interest, and creates the impression that former governors acted contrary to the best interests of the general public. Double emoluments and large severance benefits for former governors now serving public officials constitute a blatant betrayal of public trust.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSERAP is concerned that several serving senators and ministers are receiving salaries and life pensions running into billions of naira from states that are currently unwilling or unable to pay their workers\u2019 salaries. Public office is a public trust, and as such, citizens depend upon their governors, senators and ministers to act in the public interest, not for their own or another\u2019s profit or benefit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnder the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party, it is forbidden for any public official to engage in self-dealing, and place him\/herself in a position of conflicting interests, and to hold incompatible functions or illicitly engage in providing to him\/herself emoluments deemed unacceptable under international law. This is a clear case of the former governors placing their private or personal interests over and above their entrusted public functions, and unduly influencing the level of benefits they receive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSERAP argues that taking advantage of entrusted public offices and positions to enact laws to grant double emoluments and large severance benefits to serving public officials amounts to not only an abuse of office but also incorrect, dishonourable and improper performance of public functions, as per the provisions of paragraph 2 of article 8 of the convention.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy signing such double emoluments and large benefits laws which they knew or ought to know that they would be beneficiaries, these former governors have abused their entrusted public functions and positions, and thereby obtained an undue advantage, contrary to article 19 of the convention.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe double emoluments and large severance benefits laws also violate the conflicts of interest provisions of the convention. The fact that these laws are signed by former governors in the exercise of their functions as public officials and now benefiting from the entitlements under such laws while serving as senators and ministers raises serious conflict of interest issue under paragraph 5 of article 8 of the convention.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that the current Code of Conduct for Public Officials Act is outdated and entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the object and purpose of the UN Convention against Corruption, which requires Nigeria to adopt a comprehensive code of conduct for the performance of public functions and implicitly to prohibit double emoluments and large severance benefits for public officials such as former governors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSERAP notes the resolution of the UN General Assembly to the effect that every state has the duty to carry out in good faith its obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law, and it may not invoke provisions in its constitutions or its laws as an excuse for failure to perform this duty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

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\u201cAs such, your government is mandated to challenge the legality of double and large emoluments states\u2019 laws and bring them in line with Nigeria\u2019s international obligations including under the convention. This position is buttressed by article 27 of the Vienna Convention on the Laws of Treaties, which provides that no state can justify the noncompliance with an international treaty with reference to internal law, including even the constitution.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe UN Legislative Guide to the convention provides that where there are gabs between national laws (including constitutions) and international obligations, states must meet more onerous standards of integrity, honesty and responsibility among their public officials. SERAP is seriously concerned that conflicts of interest as well as perceptions of such conflicts undermine public confidence in the integrity and honesty of high-ranking public officials.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to our information, those who currently receive double emoluments and large severance benefits from their states include: Dr. Bukola Saraki (Kwara); Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Kabiru Gaya (Kano); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Theodore Orji (Abia); Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa); Sam Egwu (Ebonyi); Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara); Joshua Dariye (Plateau), and Jonah Jang (Plateau). Others include: Ahmed Sani Yarima (Zamfara); Danjuma Goje (Gombe); Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe); Adamu Aliero (Kebbi); George Akume (Benue); Ms Biodun Olujimi (Ekiti); Enyinaya Harcourt Abaribe (Abia); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Chris Ngige (Anambra); and Babatunde Fashola (Lagos).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSERAP notes that under the Lagos Pension Law a former governor will enjoy the following benefits for life: Two houses, one in Lagos and another in Abuja estimated to cost between N500m and N700m. Others are six brand new cars replaceable every three years; furniture allowance of 300 percent of annual salary to be paid every two years, and a close to N2.5m as pension (about N30m pension annually); free medicals including for his immediate families; 10 percent house maintenance; 30 percent car maintenance; 10 percent entertainment; 20 percent utility; and several domestic staff.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Rivers, state law provides 100 percent of annual basic salaries for ex-governor and deputy, one residential house for former governor anywhere of his choice in Nigeria; one residential house anywhere in Rivers for the deputy, three cars for the ex-governor every four years; two cars for the deputy every four years; 300 percent of annual basic salary every four years for furniture; 10 percent of annual basic salary for house maintenance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Akwa Ibom, state law provides for N200m annual pay to ex governors, deputies; pension for life at a rate equivalent to the salary of the incumbent governor\/deputy governor respectively; a new official car and utility-vehicle every four years; one personal aide and provision of adequate security; a cook, chauffeurs and security guards for the governor at a sum not exceeding N5m per month and N2.5m for the deputy governor. Others are: free medical services for governor and spouse at an amount not exceeding N100m for the governor per annum and N50m for the deputy governor; a five-bedroom mansion in Abuja and Akwa Ibom and allowance of 300 percent of annual basic salary for the deputy governor; 300 percent of annual basic salary every four years and severance gratuity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSimilarly, the Kano State Pension Rights of Governor and Deputy Governor Law 2007 provides for 100 percent of annual basic salaries for former governor and deputy; furnished and equipped office; a 6-bedroom house; well-furnished 4-bedroom for deputy, plus an office; free medical treatment along with immediate families within and outside Nigeria where necessary; two drivers; and a provision for a 30- day vacation within and outside Nigeria.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Gombe State, there is N300 million executive pension benefits for the ex-governors. In Kwara State, the 2010 law gives a former governor two cars and a security car replaceable every three years; a well-furnished 5-bedroom duplex; 300 per cent of his salary as furniture allowance; five personal staff; three State Security Services; free medical care for the governor and the deputy; 30 percent of salary for car maintenance; 20 per cent for utility; 10 percent for entertainment; 10 per cent for house maintenance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Zamfara State, former governors receive pension for life; two personal staff; two vehicles replaceable every four years; two drivers, free medical for the former governors and deputies and their immediate families in Nigeria or abroad; a 4-bedroom house in Zamfara and an office; free telephone and 30 days paid vacation outside Nigeria. In Sokoto State, former governors and deputy governors are to receive N200m and N180m respectively being monetization for other entitlements which include domestic aides, residence and vehicles that could be renewed after every four years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN urging him to use his \u201cgood offices as a defender of public interest, and exercise your powers under Section 174(1) of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), to urgently …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":14265,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[1467],"coauthors":[2392,2393],"class_list":["post-15618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-news","tag-serap"],"yoast_head":"\nSERAP to FG: Sue ex-govs now senators, ministers over N40bn double pay, life pensions - National Wire<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationalwire.com.ng\/sub\/serap-fg-sue-ex-govs-now-senators-ministers-n40bn-double-pay-life-pensions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SERAP to FG: Sue ex-govs now senators, ministers over N40bn double pay, life pensions - 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