The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has declared its readiness to approach a court to seek an order to restrain all former Nigerian governors from accessing life pensions while serving as ministers.
SERAP, via its X page on Friday, August 18, said that it would be a waste of public funds for the former governors to still be paid life pensions while serving as ministers and being on the federal government’s payroll.
The organisation’s statement read: “We’re suing to block former governors Wike, Umahi, Badaru, Matawalle, Lalong, Oyetola, Bagudu and Gaidam from receiving life pensions, free health care, exotic cars and other allowances from their states while serving as ministers.”
No less than 17 former state governors handed over to their successors on May 29, 2023, and are set to receive generous benefits for their services to their respective states, despite economic crises, rising debts, and disgruntled and underpaid workers and pensioners.
Former governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Ben Ayade (Cross River), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and David Umahi (Ebonyi) are some of the governors set to benefit from pension benefits.
The rest are Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Samuel Ortom, Darius Ishaku, Abubakar Bello, Abubakar Bagudu, Nasir El-Rufai, Simon Lalong, Aminu Masari and Aminu Tambuwal of Enugu, Benue, Taraba, Niger, Kebbi, Kaduna, Plateau, Katsina and Sokoto states respectively.
