Our Politicians, A National Curse?

Recently, the famous Kenyan Pan-Africanist advocate, Prof Patrick Lumumba, had this to say about African leaders, “The Africa’s politician is perhaps (with due respect to them), African’s curse. The day the African politician realises that the occupation of political office and political space is one of servant leadership, that is the day Africa will begin to move in the right direction”
Situate that speech to Nigeria and you will agree that the prof is not far from the truth. In the country today, majority of the people are in lack. There is abject poverty, insecurity, high level of unemployment, lack of infrastructure and many more. The new minimum wage of N30,000.00 is still a big issue in many states. Workers in some states are still being owed many months’ salaries and arrears. Civil servants are not being promoted. Retirees are not paid their pensions and gratuities. Stories abound about how some of them slumped and died during verification exercises to enable them collect the paltry sum.
Amidst this misery of the people, ex-governors, their deputies and other top political office holders in some states collect humongous sums of money every month in the name of pensions and allowances in addition to other unmerited privileges. After years of siphoning state funds without accountability, the ex-governors stampeded their state Assemblies to pass obnoxious and anti-people laws, enabling them to milk the states for life in the form of pension.
In Lagos State, for instance, the 2007 Pension Law states that former governors of the state are entitled to a house each in any location of their choice in Lagos and Abuja. Section 2 of the law states that, “One residential house each for the governor and the deputy governor at any location of their choice in Lagos State and one residential house in the Federal Capital Territory for the governor on two consecutive terms.” The law also provides for six new cars every three years, 100 per cent of the basic salary of the serving governor (N7.7million per annum), as well as free health care for himself and members of his family. The law also says former governors will be entitled to furniture allowance, which is 300 per cent of their annual basic salary (N23.3million); house maintenance allowance, which is 10 per cent of basic salary (N778, 296); utility allowance, which is 20 per cent of the salary (N1.5million) and car maintenance allowance, which is 30 per cent of the annual basic salary (N2.3million). Other benefits include entertainment allowance, which is 10 per cent of the basic salary (N778, 296) and a personal assistant, who will earn 25 per cent of the governor’s annual basic salary (N1.9million). A former governor will also be entitled to eight policemen and two officials of the Department of State Services for life.
The Gombe State the Executive Pension Law is said to provide monthly salary for life to all former governors and deputy governors. An ex-governor is also entitled to a 30-day paid travel expenses annually to any country of his choice alongside his wife, so also the deputy governor and his wife. They have a choice to ask for a befitting house of their choice at any location in the state, or may request that money equivalent to such house be given to them. A former governor is also entitled to two utility cars, while his deputy is entitled to one car to be replaced periodically. The governor is entitled to an employee on Salary Grade Level 12 who will be serving him, also to be paid by the state government. Both the governor, deputy governor and their wives are entitled to paid medical treatment at home or abroad. The state executive pension law also stated that a governor and his deputy serving their second term can pay themselves the housing and gratuity if they have successfully finished one term in office.
The story is not different in our state, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Sokoto, Kwara and Zamfara (before the law was repealed by the state House of Assembly few days ago). Meanwhile, most of these ex-governors are still in government either as ministers or federal lawmakers, receiving huge salaries and allowances.
So it is heartwarming to know that the court has ordered the Federal Government to recover pensions collected by former governors serving as ministers and members of the National Assembly. In judgement to a suit filed by Socio – Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), challenging the legality of pension laws in question, Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court, Okoyi, Lagos State, also reportedly directed the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN to challenge the legality of states’ pension laws permitting former governors and other ex-public officials to collect such pensions.
This landmark judgement will surely go a long way in rekindling the peoples’ dying belief in the court as the last hope of the common man. But knowing “how good our leaders, especially those at the highest level, are good at obeying court orders”, we wait to see how things will pan out. However, for a government that is interested in the good of the citizens, compliance to this order should be prioritized.
Meanwhile, while the federal government is playing her own part, State Houses of Assembly where this repugnant law is in existence should emulate their colleagues in Zamfara State by speedily repealing it. We obviously do not need laws that will permit a few priviledged people to be living as super rich and demi-gods at the detriment of the generality of the people. We are tired of selfish leaders who see political offices as an opportunity to milk the states and the nation, thereby becoming a curse to the people instead of blessing.
It is high time we had servant-leaders who will see leadership as an honour and a privilege if we must develop as a nation. In the words of Craig D. Laounsbrough, “The sacrifice ‘of’ self for the greater good is the greatest calling imaginable, and it is the bedrock of the greatest nations. The sacrifice ‘for’ self is the most pathetic calling imaginable, and it is the quicksand within which nations perish”.

By: Calista Ezeaku