By Akubulu Ngozi
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has reportedly sued the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and nine other ex- governors in the 10th National Assembly over an alleged collection of pensions and salaries as serving law makers.
In the suit that includes the following defendants, Abdulaziz Yari; Aminu Tambuwal; Adamu Aliero; Adams Oshiomole; Ibrahim Gaidam; Seriake Dickson; Ibrahim Dankwambo; Aliyu Wammako; Gbenga Daniel and Dave Umahi, SERAP argued that the Seventh Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) requests that, ex-governors are to stop collecting both salaries and pensions after service as such, wants the Governors to return all pensions collected.
SERAP argued: “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.”
Moreover, the suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1360/2023, has been filed over the weekend by the Group’s lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Valentina Adegoke, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking for the mandamus to direct and compel the defendants to stop collecting both salaries and pensions and to also return all pensions collected to their states’ treasuries.
However, no date has been specified for hearing of the suit.