Socio-Economic Rights in addition to Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an opened upwardly missive of the alphabet to the Attorney-General of the Federation in addition to Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, to usage his “good offices every bit a defender of world interest” to urgently institute appropriate legal actions to recover over N40 billion dubiously earned inwards double payment yesteryear one-time Nigerian state governors, who are right away either senators or ministers.
SERAP said the one-time gorvenors in addition to their deputies are drawing the dubious payments based on retirement in addition to pension laws crafted yesteryear them acre inwards office.
It alleged that Senate President MD Bukola Saraki (Kwara); Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Kabiru Gaya (Kano); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Theodore Orji (Abia); Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa); Sam Egwu (Ebonyi); Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara), are with one-time governors receiving double emoluments in addition to large severance benefits from their states.
Others mentioned are Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Ahmed Sani Yarima (Zamfara); Danjuma Goje (Gombe); Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe); Adamu Aliero (Kebbi); George Akume (Benue); Ms Biodun Olujimi (Ekiti); Enyinaya Harcourt Abaribe (Abia); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Chris Ngige (Anambra); in addition to Babatunde Fashola (Lagos).
SERAP urged Malami to usage his “good offices every bit a defender of world interest” to urgently institute appropriate legal actions to challenge the legality of states’ laws permitting one-time governors, who are right away senators in addition to ministers to bask governors’ emoluments acre drawing normal salaries in addition to allowances inwards their novel political offices.”
The arrangement besides asked Mr Malami to “seek total recovery of over N40 billion of world funds that cause got then far been received from those involved; in addition to to get to select these steps inside vii days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter, failing which SERAP volition institute legal proceedings to compel the discharge of constitutional duty in addition to total compliance with Nigeria’s international anti-corruption obligations in addition to commitments.”
In the missive of the alphabet dated xiv July 2017 in addition to signed yesteryear SERAP executive manager Adetokunbo Mumuni the organization said that, “Public involvement is non good served when authorities officials such every bit one-time governors, deputies supplement their emoluments inwards their electrical flow positions with life pensions in addition to emoluments drawn from their states’ meagre resources, in addition to thereby prioritising their individual or personal interests over in addition to inwards a higher house the greatest happiness of the greatest number.”
“SERAP considers double emoluments for serving world officials unlawful, every bit the laws granting those benefits select governance away from the arena of world interest, in addition to do the impression that one-time governors acted reverse to the best interests of the full general public. Double emoluments in addition to large severance benefits for one-time governors right away serving world officials found a blatant betrayal of world trust.”
“SERAP is concerned that several serving senators in addition to ministers are receiving salaries in addition to life pensions running into billions of naira from states that are currently unwilling or unable to pay their workers’ salaries. Public business office is a world trust, in addition to every bit such, citizens depend upon their governors, senators in addition to ministers to human activity inwards Earth interest, non for their ain or another’s turn a profit or benefit.”
“Under the United Nations Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party, it is forbidden for whatever world official to engage inwards self-dealing, in addition to house him/herself inwards a seat of conflicting interests, in addition to to concur incompatible functions or illicitly engage inwards providing to him/herself emoluments deemed unacceptable nether international law. This is a clear representative of the one-time governors placing their individual or personal interests over in addition to inwards a higher house their entrusted world functions, in addition to unduly influencing the degree of benefits they receive.”
“SERAP argues that taking wages of entrusted world offices in addition to positions to enact laws to grant double emoluments in addition to large severance benefits to serving world officials amounts to non only an abuse of business office but besides incorrect, dishonourable in addition to improper functioning of world functions, every bit per the provisions of paragraph 2 of article 8 of the convention.”
“By signing such double emoluments in addition to large benefits laws which they knew or ought to know that they would hold out beneficiaries, these one-time governors cause got abused their entrusted world functions in addition to positions, in addition to thereby obtained an undue advantage, reverse to article nineteen of the convention.”
“The double emoluments in addition to large severance benefits laws besides violate the conflicts of involvement provisions of the convention. The fact that these laws are signed yesteryear one-time governors inwards the do of their functions every bit world officials in addition to right away benefiting from the entitlements nether such laws acre serving every bit senators in addition to ministers raises serious conflict of involvement number nether paragraph 5 of article 8 of the convention.”
“We believe that the electrical flow Code of Conduct for Public Officials Act is outdated in addition to exclusively inconsistent in addition to incompatible with the object in addition to purpose of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which requires Nigeria to adopt a comprehensive code of bear for the functioning of world functions in addition to implicitly to prohibit double emoluments in addition to large severance benefits for world officials such every bit one-time governors.”
“SERAP notes the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly to the number that every state has the duty to send out inwards adept organized faith its obligations arising from treaties in addition to other sources of international law, in addition to it may non invoke provisions inwards its constitutions or its laws every bit an excuse for failure to perform this duty.”
“As such, your authorities is mandated to challenge the legality of double in addition to large emoluments states’ laws in addition to select them inwards job with Nigeria’s international obligations including nether the convention. This seat is buttressed yesteryear article 27 of the Vienna Convention on the Laws of Treaties, which provides that no state tin forcefulness out justify the noncompliance with an international treaty with reference to internal law, including fifty-fifty the constitution.”
“SERAP notes that nether the Lagos Pension Law a one-time governor volition bask the next benefits for life: Two houses, ane inwards Lagos in addition to some other inwards Abuja estimated to toll betwixt N500m in addition to N700m. Others are half dozen build novel cars replaceable every iii years; article of furniture allowance of 300 per centum of annual salary to hold out paid every ii years, in addition to a closed to N2.5m every bit pension (about N30m pension annually); gratis medicals including for his immediate families; 10 per centum solid maintenance; xxx per centum machine maintenance; 10 per centum entertainment; 20 per centum utility; in addition to several domestic staff.”
“In Rivers, state police clitoris provides 100 per centum of annual basic salaries for ex-governor in addition to deputy, ane residential solid for one-time governor anywhere of his selection inwards Nigeria; ane residential solid anywhere inwards Rivers for the deputy, iii cars for the ex-governor every 4 years; ii cars for the deputy every 4 years; 300 per centum of annual basic salary every 4 years for furniture; 10 per centum of annual basic salary for solid maintenance.”
“In Akwa Ibom, state police clitoris provides for N200m annual pay to ex governors, deputies; pension for life at a charge per unit of measurement equivalent to the salary of the incumbent governor/deputy governor respectively; a novel official machine in addition to utility-vehicle every 4 years; ane personal aide in addition to provision of adequate security; a cook, chauffeurs in addition to safety guards for the governor at a amount non exceeding N5m per calendar month in addition to N2.5m for the deputy governor. Others are: gratis medical services for governor in addition to husband at an amount non exceeding N100m for the governor per annum in addition to N50m for the deputy governor; a five-bedroom mansion inwards Abuja in addition to Akwa Ibom in addition to allowance of 300 per centum of annual basic salary for the deputy governor; 300 per centum of annual basic salary every 4 years in addition to severance gratuity.”
“Similarly, the Kano State Pension Rights of Governor in addition to Deputy Governor Law 2007 provides for 100 per centum of annual basic salaries for one-time governor in addition to deputy; furnished in addition to equipped office; a 6-bedroom house; well-furnished 4-bedroom for deputy, addition an office; gratis medical handling along with immediate families inside in addition to exterior Nigeria where necessary; ii drivers; in addition to a provision for a 30- twenty-four hours opor-garai inside in addition to exterior Nigeria.”
“In Gombe State, in that location is N300 ane G k executive pension benefits for the ex-governors. In Kwara State, the 2010 police clitoris gives a one-time governor ii cars in addition to a safety machine replaceable every iii years; a well-furnished 5-bedroom duplex; 300 per cent of his salary every bit article of furniture allowance; 5 personal staff; iii State Security Services; gratis medical attention for the governor in addition to the deputy; xxx per centum of salary for machine maintenance; 20 per cent for utility; 10 per centum for entertainment; 10 per cent for solid maintenance.”
“In Zamfara State, one-time governors have pension for life; ii personal staff; ii vehicles replaceable every 4 years; ii drivers, gratis medical for the one-time governors in addition to deputies in addition to their immediate families inwards Nigeria or abroad; a 4-bedroom solid inwards Zamfara in addition to an office; gratis shout out upwardly in addition to xxx days paid opor-garai exterior Nigeria. In Sokoto State, one-time governors in addition to deputy governors are to have N200m in addition to N180m respectively existence monetization for other entitlements which include domestic aides, residence in addition to vehicles that could hold out renewed afterwards every 4 years.”