Stop life pension payment to ex-Abuja council chairs, speakers - SERAP to court
- A court sitting in an Abuja has been asked to stop the payment of life pensions to former council chairpersons and speakers of the FCT
- The demand was made by SERAP in a suit filed before the court on Friday, January 17
- SERAP prayed the court to make a declaration that the life pension edict/law 2019, passed by the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) is unconstitutional
A Federal Capital Territory High Court has been asked to stop the payment of life pensions to former council chairpersons and speakers of the FCT.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in a suit filed on Friday, January 17, before the court asked for the declaration of the life pension edict/law 2019, passed by the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) unconstitutional.
SERAP in its suit also called for a restraint to prevent AMAC, its chairman, deputy chairman, speaker, legislature and/or their agents from paying life pensions to former officials and themselves.
The organisation also sought an order to direct and compel AMAC, its chairman; deputy chairman; speaker; and legislature to recover all previous payments made under the AMAC life pension edict/law from those who have left office.
In a statement signed by SERAP's deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and sent to Legit.ng, the organisation said the AMAC edict granting life pensions to ex-officials is a blatant usurpation of the constitutional powers of the National Assembly.
Oluwadare said if not immediately stopped, the officials involved in the charade will spend millions and ultimately, billions of taxpayers’ money on life pensions.
He said the funds are meant to be used to address the poor state of basic amenities and deficits in educational institutions, primary healthcare facilities, potable water, sanitation and infrastructural needs of the residents within the council’s area.
“Under the pension edict, AMAC’s past council chairmen would receive an annual pension of N500,000; former vice chairmen are to receive N300,000 each while former speakers will be paid N200,000 each,” Oluwadare noted.
Although no date has been fixed for hearing of the suit, SERPA said the law is entirely inconsistent with the provisions of Item 44, Second Schedule, Part 1 Nigerian Constitution, and to that extent, it is null, void, illegal and unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that SERAP had earlier handed a seven-day ultimatum to governors of the 36 state across Nigeria.
SERAP in its ultimatum urged the governors to disclose the payment made to all ex-governors from 1999 to 2019.
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The organisation also urged governors to provide names and numbers of governors who are still receiving such pensions.
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Source: Legit.ng
