Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State for his decision to sponsor a bill that will outlaw payment of life pensions to former governors and deputies.
By the provisions of the Lagos State Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension Law 2007), all living former governors and their deputies are entitled to N30m pension annually, a house in Lagos and Abuja, six brand new cars every three years, medical allowances in any part of the world and other allowances.
But Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, told the state House of Assembly about his move to repeal the law so as to cut the cost of governance.
Reacting to the development, SERAP, which has been having a running legal battle with governors of the 36 states of the federation over pension laws for ex-governors, said it was cheered.
Reacting to the news, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oludare, said, “This is a welcome development in line with our consistent advocacy on accountability in governance over the years. More particularly, this is in compliance with the judgment of Honourable Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court, Lagos in SERAP v. Attorney General of the Federation, mandating the Attorney General of the Federation to challenge the legality of state pension laws and recover monies paid unlawfully to former governors and their deputies.
“SERAP urges the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN,) to immediately fulfil his promise to enforce the judgment in suit number FHC/L/CS/1497/2017 to recover pensions already collected and challenge the legality of all life pension laws in several states across the country.”
