By Oluwatosin Maliki
The Senate President Godswill Akpabio alongside nine other former governors in the 10th Senate have been sued by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) over their collection of both salaries and pensions as legislators.
SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
According to the statement, the respondents in the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja include; Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara); Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto); Adamu Aliero (Kebbi); Adams Oshiomole (Edo); Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe); Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto); Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi).
The lawsuit seeks, “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio, nine other senators, and Mr Umahi to stop collecting both salaries and pensions and to return any pensions collected to their respective state treasuries.”
Also, SERAP wants, “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr. Akpabio, nine other senators, and Mr Umahi to clarify and disclose if they have collected and/or currently collecting both salaries and pensions as former governors”.
“An order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio, nine other senators, and Mr Umahi to disclose the details and amounts of the pensions so far received by them.”
The agency is arguing that “The Seventh Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) requires the former governors to stop collecting both salaries and pensions and to return any pensions collected”.
“Unless the reliefs sought are granted, the former governors would continue to both enjoy life pension packages, and collect salaries as serving public officers, and the travesty and private self-interest would continue.”
However, no date has been fixed by the court for the hearing of the suit.