SERAP Sues Akpabio, Oshiomole, Others Over Pension Collection

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio, and nine other former governors who are currently lawmakers in the 10th Senate over their collection of both salaries and pensions.

This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by SERAP Deputy Director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare.

Joined as respondents in the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja were Mr Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara); Mr Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto); Mr Adamu Aliero (Kebbi); Mr Adams Oshiomole (Edo); Mr Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe); Mr Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); Mr Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe); Mr Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto); Mr Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), and Dave Umahi (Enugu).

The organisation had previously called on the senators as well as other ex-governors in government, including the FCT Minister and former Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, to forgo their pensions since they were already getting salaries amid the current economic reality.

It seeks “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio, nine other senators and Mr Umahi to stop collecting both salaries and pensions and to return any pensions collected to their respective state treasuries.”

The group also wants “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio, nine other senators and Mr Umahi to clarify and disclose if they have collected and/or currently collecting both salaries and pensions as former governors.

“An order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio, nine other senators and Mr Umahi to disclose the details and amounts of the pensions so far received by them.”

SERAP also argued that the “The Seventh Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) requires the former governors to stop collecting both salaries and pensions and to return any pensions collected.

“Unless the reliefs sought are granted, the former governors would continue to both enjoy life pension packages, and collect salaries as serving public officers, and the travesty and private self-interest would continue.”