SERAP FILES SUIT TO STOP AKPABIO, NINE OTHERS FROM COLLECTING SALARIES, PENSION
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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and nine other former governors in the 10th Senate over their collection of salaries and pensions while serving in the Senate.
This was stated in a press statement issued by the deputy director, SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare, on Sunday.
Joined in the suit as Respondents are Senators Abdulaziz Yari, Aminu Tambuwal, Adamu Aliero, Adams Oshiomole, Ibrahim Gaidam, Seriake Dickson, Ibrahim Dankwambo, Aliyu Wammako, Gbenga Daniel, and Minister of Works, Dave Umahi.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1360/2023 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP is seeking “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 body lamented that it was absurd for the respondents to be “looking after themselves while over 137 million Nigerians are living in extreme poverty” which was worsened by the fuel subsidy removal.
SERAP added, “Collecting pensions as former governors and salaries while serving as public officers is a flagrant violation of the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution and the public trust.”
SERAP seeks “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.”
In the suit, SERAP argued that “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.
The statement also stated the benefits accrued to former governors and their deputies, alongside their wives, ranging from pensions to medical treatments, security, and more.
“It is a fundamental breach of their fiduciary duties for former governors to collect both salaries and pensions. The alleged collection by former governors of double emoluments is detrimental to the public interest.”
“It is a travesty for former governors to be looking after themselves while over 137 million Nigerians are living in extreme poverty exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidy.”
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms Valentina Adegoke, read in parts, “The UN Convention against Corruption requires public officials to discharge a public duty truthfully and faithfully.
“The UN Convention also implicitly prohibits large severance benefits for public officials. The convention specifically in Article 8 requires public officers to promote integrity and responsibility in the management of public resources.
“Paragraph 2 (a) of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers in the Fifth Schedule, Part 1 of the Nigerian Constitution provides in part: ‘a public officer shall not receive or be paid the emoluments of any public office at the same time as he receives or is paid the emoluments of any other public office.’”
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