A recent letter by a former governor of Ogun State and now senator for Ogun East in the 10th National Assembly, Gbenga Daniel, to his state governor, Dapo Abiodun, requesting a suspension of his monthly retirement benefit now that he has another job at the Senate has drawn attention to the heavy burden the outrageous severance packages and pension for ex-governors and deputy governors put on the treasuries of state governments.
In the said letter, Senator Daniel said his conscience, moral principle, and ethical code were against receiving double emoluments. Presently, there are 14 former governors who are now senators. As a newspaper, we urge the other senators enjoying double payment to show good cause by following Daniel’s good example.
At least 18 ex-governors and their deputies are presently benefitting from jumbo pensions their state legislatures approved for them years back. For instance, in Edo State, a bill for a law to amend the 2007 Pension Rights of the Governor and Deputy Governor Law was passed a few days to the end of Adams Oshiomhole’s tenure. The amended bill provided for the building of a house in a location of choice in Nigeria for the former governor provided that the total cost of building the house shall not be in excess of N200 million while N100 million is for the deputy governor’s house.
Other benefits are pension for life at a rate equivalent to 100 per cent of the former governor’s last annual salary in addition to an officer not above salary grade level 12 as Special Assistant, a personal secretary not below grade level 10 who shall be selected by him from the public service of Edo State. He is also entitled to have two cooks, two armed policemen as security, three vehicles to be bought by the state government and liable to be replaced every five years, three drivers who shall be selected by the former governor and paid by the state government, as well as free medical treatment for the governor and his immediate family.
Similarly, the Delta State Governor and Deputy Governor Pension Rights and Other Benefits (Amendment Law) 2019, was enacted by the state House of Assembly in 2005 during the tenure of ex-governor James Ibori and amended in 2019 during Dr Ifeanyi Okowa’s tenure to extend the pension largesse to Sam Obi (now late) who was acting governor for about six weeks in 2010.
According to the law, ex-governors are to be paid allowances and other benefits worth N50 million annually for life. They are also entitled to life benefits including a furnished duplex in Delta State or any state in the country worth over N300 million; 350 per cent gratuity on basic salary for the first tenure; and gratuity of 450 per cent on basic salary for second tenure; a pension of 70 per cent of the first term; a pension of 80 per cent of second term; medical treatment for him and members of his immediate family; and two vehicles, including an utility vehicle not below N20 million each every two years; two armed policemen and one DSS officer; 15 days annual vacation in a place of choice; an office with four aides, with each earning N100,000 monthly, etc. The provisions in the other states are more or less like these two examples.
Expectedly, the burden all these jumbo pensions place on the resources of the state governments can only be imagined, as many of them are unable to provide for the basic needs of their citizens. That is why, as a newspaper, we align with some state legislators who have taken steps to remove or reduce this yoke on their states’ resources.
For instance, the Lagos State House of Assembly amended the state Pension Law in 2021, reducing their benefits and emoluments by 50 per cent. It also expunged the provision of houses in Abuja and Lagos for former governors, as stipulated in an earlier law operated by the state. The House also reduced the number of vehicles to be made available to former governors and their deputies.
In Kwara State, the pension packages for former governors and their deputies are no longer applicable, since the law establishing that was repealed by the present administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Some have argued that governors are not entitled to life pensions as the Nigerian constitution did not stipulate that the office was pensionable. It is also ethically questionable to pay such lavish benefits to those who served the state for only four or eight years while those who served for 35 years get peanuts. It is also unfortunate that state lawmakers are so easily manipulated into approving laws that will allow former governors free rein on their state’s lean resources to the detriment of the people they are elected to serve.
As a newspaper, we feel that this is an unwarranted burden on states most of whom are not only already heavily indebted, but are also not able to pay the agreed minimum wage of N30,000 per month to their civil servants. Already, many of these states are owing their workers a backlog of salaries and allowances, as well as a backlog of pension and gratuities, going back to 10 to 15 years
The present state of the country’s economy demands that state Assemblies review these benefits or repeal them altogether as a means to cut down on the cost of governance.
