Nigeria can’t afford ‘scandalous pension’ for ex-governors, says Falana

A Nigerian lawyer and human right activist, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, on Sunday, called for an end to what he described as scandalous pensions for some former governors in Nigeria.

Falana argued that while some state governors voted themselves large pension payments and allowances, they failed to pay their former workers’ pensions and gratuities during their time in office.

The human rights activist, in a statement, stated that Nigeria can no longer afford to pay scandalous pensions to ex-governors while workers are owed arrears of meagre pensions.

The statement reads: “Many state governors voted themselves humongous pension payments and allowances. Many of the same governors chose not to pay the pensions and gratuities for their former workers whilst they were in office. Not less than 20 of them are in the Senate where they also receive jumbo salaries and allowances.

“Lagos was the first state to implement a pension law for its former governors. The Lagos State Pension for Ex-Governors was enacted in 2007. Since then, the majority of States adopted the Lagos model. But the pension laws for Lagos, Akwa Ibom and Rivers States are the most scandalous.”