— President-elect, General
Muhammadu Buhari (retd), is to lead a
campaign to repeal the pension laws for
governors enacted by many states of the
federation, Vanguard has learnt.
The proposal by the incoming president is
based on what sources close to him affirm
as the incongruity of the laws under the
country’s socio-economic environment
and also, as a way of demonstrating moral
leadership from the top.
Majority of the nation’s 36 state Houses of
Assembly have enacted generous pension
entitlements for governors that in many
cases provide 100 per cent pay for the
incumbent governors buildings, generous
medical allowances for them and their
family members and annual holiday
provisions, all of which are to last for life.
Provisions in the pension allowances are
also made for staff, security and vehicles
that are renewable every three or four
years.
Buhari’s inclination towards a review of the
pension for former governors was first
publicly declared few days to the
presidential election at the All Progressives
Congress, APC, retreat in Owerri, Imo State.
It’s scandalous
A source conversant with the development
disclosed that Buhari told the governors
that there was no way Nigeria could
survive under the financial weight of the
pensions that had been earmarked for
governors. He was said to have described
the pension laws as enacted by states
controlled by APC and PDP governors as
scandalous.
According to the source, “he was very
blunt about it and said that it was
something that was going to be done
immediately, especially because it is not
something that can be sustained.
“The feeling was that not only was it
wrong and morally unconscionable, but
that it was not something that should be
encouraged, and he was appealing to them
that it should be changed.”
However, the response of the governors,
who were present at the retreat, was not
immediately given.
It’s a welcome proposal —Keyamo
The development was, yesterday,
welcomed by leading Lagos lawyer, Festus
Keyamo, who described it as a fantastic
proposal but disclosed that it was
something that could, however, only be
accomplished through moral suasion.
“Fantastic, fantastic. It is a very welcome
proposal,” the Lagos lawyer, who backed
General Buhari against President Goodluck
Jonathan in last month’s presidential
election said.
He, however, said the proposal was
something that Buhari could only effect
through moral suasion as the pension acts
were enacted by state Houses of
Assembly.
The crave for financial safety out of office
was recently also extended to the
legislature after the Lagos State House of
Assembly passed pension laws to
guarantee generous pension entitlements
with proposals for former presiding
officers of the house.
States that have passed the law
Many states of the federation had steadily
been passing the law since return to civil
rule. States like Lagos, Edo, Gombe, Oyo,
and Rivers have passed the law, through
which several former governors are already
drawing applicable benefits, which in some
cases are 100 per cent of what the
incumbent is earning, while in others,
some benefits in the pension laws are as
high as 300 per cent of what obtains in
some states.
100% of basic salary in Lagos
The Lagos State Governor and Deputy
Governor Pensions Law of 2007 provides
that “a former governor and family (spouse
and children both married and unmarried)
are entitled to free medical treatment which
is not capped. Another highlight is that the
ex-governor is entitled to a cook, steward,
gardener and other domestic staff who are
pensionable.
The benefits:
Annual Basic Salary: 100% of annual basic
salaries of the incumbent governor and
deputy.
Accommodation: One residential house in
Lagos and another in FCT for the former
governor; one residential house in Lagos
for the deputy.
Transport: Three cars, two backup cars and
one pilot car for the ex-governor every
three years; two cars, two backup cars and
one pilot car for the deputy governor every
three years.
Furniture: 300 per cent of annual basic
salary every two years.
House maintenance: 10 per cent of annual
basic salary.
Domestic staff: Cook, steward, gardener
and other domestic staff (no limit) who
shall be pensionable.
Medical: Free medical treatment for ex-
governor and deputy and members of their
families (not just spouses).
Security: Two DSS operatives, one female
officer, eight policemen (four each for
house and personal security) for the ex-
governor; one SSS operative and two
policemen (one each for house and
personal security) for the deputy. PA: 25%
of annual basic salary.
Car maintenance: 30% of annual basic
salary.
Entertainment: 10% of annual basic salary.
Utility: 20% of annual basic salary.
Drivers: Pensionable (no limit to number of
drivers).
Severance gratuity: Not specified.
100% of basic salary in Kwara
The law stipulated that qualified former
governors and their deputies be paid
pension for life, without other perks like
accommodation, cars, etc.
The law was reviewed in 2010 by Bukola
Saraki, a former governor of the state and a
serving senator, who with the support of
the state House of Assembly imposed
outrageous raises on all the benefits.
The 2010 law gives a former governor two
cars and a security car, replaceable every
three years. The governor is also entitled
to a “well-furnished 5-bedroom duplex,”
furniture allowance of 300 per cent of his
salary (which totals over N6 million).
The law also gives the governor five
personal staff paid for by the state, eight
policemen, three DSS operatives (of which
one must be a female), free medicals for
the governor and the deputy.
Other entitlements are 30 per cent of salary
for car maintenance, 20 per cent for utility,
10 per cent for entertainment, 10 per cent
for house maintenance.
100% of basic salary in Rivers
The Rivers pension law was first approved
in 2003 by former governor, Peter Odili,
having been passed by a state assembly
headed by the present governor, Chibuike
Amaechi as speaker.
The 2003 pension law provides pension for
life for governors and deputies, defining
“pension” as embodying annual terminal
basic salary, annual transport allowance,
annual rent subsidy, annual utility
allowance, entertainment allowance,
domestic staff of not more than four.
Like Lagos, the new law gives the former
governor a house in Rivers State and
anywhere in Nigeria. The former governor
is also entitled to pension for life at the
rate of the governor’s basic salary, 300 per
cent of salary for furniture paid every four
years, three cars every four years, free
medical and 10 per cent for house
maintenance.
The law gives the former governor a
security detail comprising two DSS
operatives, four police officers, 30 per cent
for car maintenance, 10 per cent
entertainment, 20 per cent utility and
several domestic staff.
100% of basic salary in Edo
The Edo State House of Assembly on May
16, 2007 passed a law entitled ‘Provision
for the Pension of Rights of the Governor
and Deputy Governor of the state.’
This law was passed few weeks before
Governor Lucky Igbinedion left office as
Governor of Edo State.
It provides for 100 per cent pension for the
governor at a rate similar to the salary of
the incumbent office holder and for
domestic staff among others for the former
governor.
300% of annual salary in Oyo
The Oyo State Pension Law 2004 provides
that the Governor and Deputy Governor
after leaving office shall be entitled to
Pension for life at a rate equivalent to the
annual salary of the incumbent Governor or
Deputy Governor. Furniture Allowance of
300 per cent of the annual basic salary,
Leave Allowance of 10 per cent of annual
basic salary and severance allowance of
300 per cent of the annual basic salary.
