Akpabio’s N100Million pension bill is fraud on a massive scale – SERAP

A civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has described the N100m Pension Bill passed by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly for former governors of the state, a rip off. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the group via a statement on Tuesday in Lagos, said the legislation passed on Monday by the state assembly was “immoral, unfair, unconstitutional, unreasonable, and a rip-off on a massive scale”. The statement, signed by SERAP’s Executive Director, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni, said, “Akwa Ibom must be the only place on the planet where such pension scheme exists. “Governor Godswill Akpabio must now put Akwa Ibom ahead of his own personal bank balance by immediately withdrawing this bill.” The group urged Nigerians not to be made to “subsidise these bloated pensions and clearly undeserved perks.’’ SERAP said signing the bill into law amounted to fundamental breach of the governor’s constitutional oath declaration to serve the interest of justice, transparency and accountability. It said that the legislation would further impoverish the people of the state as they would be saddled with payment of unjust pensions to their political leaders. It said, “SERAP is appalled by this apparently unfair and discriminatory law. “There is absolutely no justification for such a law at a time the pension systems across the country are in poor shape, and pensioners continue to be denied the fruit of their labour. “The governor cannot lawfully give to himself a steady stream of public funds for life at a time millions of pensioners face cut to their pension schemes and remain in poverty without any state support.” It said that the initiative had undermined the professed fight against corruption by the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. The bill, as passed by the Akwa Ibom lawmakers, seeks a life pension at a rate equivalent to the salary of the incumbent governor for former governors and former deputy governors. It also provides for former governors, a provision of funds to employ a cook, chauffeurs and security guards at a sum not exceeding N5m per month, and N2.5m for their deputies.