The former Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, early in the week, wrote a letter to the incumbent Governor of the state, Dapo Abiodun, asking that the monthly pension being paid to him by the State government be suspended. In the letter titled, ‘Request to Suspend My Monthly Pension and Allowances’, Daniel, a serving senator, “I write to request for the suspension of my monthly pension/allowances of N676,376.95 (gross) (Six Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand, Three Hundred Seventy-Six Naira, Ninety-Five Kobo) being paid as a former Executive Governor of Ogun State. “This request is in compliance with my conscience, moral principle and ethical code against double emoluments that a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who hitherto was a former State Governor, shall not be entitled to the payment of pension and allowances from such state.
This is a plausible action, one may say. We commend Senator Daniel for listening to his conscience to do the right thing even though one would have expected him to request that the pension and allowances should be stopped rather than suspended.  By merely suspending it, it means that he intends to have it reactivated the moment he is done with the law-making job at the national assembly. Should not other former governors and former deputy governors in the national assembly or occupying other public offices do the same? It is on record that not less than 14 former governors secured seats in the current 10th senate.  Six former ministers, some of whom had previously served as state governors are in the Red Chamber.  The national assembly has long become what many describe as the retirement home for governors and deputy governors. The former governor of Ebonyi State, now a senator, Dave Umahi, recently told newsmen that “I am going to the senate to rest.” Some ex-governors have graduated to become presidents, vice presidents and what have you.
As they are resting there, enjoying the humongous allowances and salaries, after years of siphoning state funds without accountability, they 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 (N7.7 million 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 (N23.3 million); house maintenance allowance, which is 10 percent of basic salary (N778, 296); utility allowance, which is 20 percent of the salary (N1.5 million) and car maintenance allowance, which is 30 percent of the annual basic salary (N2.3 million). Other benefits include entertainment allowance, which is 10 percent of the basic salary (N778, 296) and a personal assistant, who will earn 25 per cent of the governor’s annual basic salary (N1.9 million). A former governor will also be entitled to eight policemen and two officials of the Department of State Services for life.
In Gombe State, the Executive Pension Law is said to provide a 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 a 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 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 states 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). But for the outcry that greeted the Enugu state pensions bill for governors and their deputy, leading to the law makers stepping it down, Enugu State former governors and deputy governors would have been receiving gratuity as well as pension for life at the expense of the state government. They and their spouses would enjoy medical allowance not exceeding N12 million per annum, adequate security life, three vehicles to an ex-governor to be replaced every four years among other mouth watering provisions. All these because the ex-governors and their deputies “served” the state for four years or eight years as the case may be. Meanwhile, in some of these states, civil servants labour for 35 years and can hardly afford shelters over their heads not to talk of functional vehicles. Payment of N30, 000.00 minimum wage to workers, pension and gratuity to pensioners are still a big issue.
In the country today, majority of the people are lacking, there is abject poverty, insecurity, high level of unemployment, lack of infrastructure and many more. 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. Many pensioners have slumped and died during verification exercises to enable them collect the paltry sum. Little wonder the famous Kenyan Pan-Africanist Advocate, Prof Patrick Lumumba, said that African politicians are a curse to the continent. His words, “The Africa’s politicians are perhaps (with due respect to them), Africa’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.”
With great endowments in human and natural resources, in addition to vast agricultural potentials, the nation should have been Africa’s undisputed economic giant, a dream country where at least the basic needs of the people are adequately catered for. But the ceaseless plunder of the national and state treasuries by public office holders has made living in the land hellish – no food, epileptic power supply, insecurity everywhere, no good roads, no water and all that. The recent removal of fuel subsidy has worsened the situation. Many poor citizens can hardly breathe. So, it is high time the legislators and members of other arms of government came down from their high horses and began to conduct their affairs in accordance with the current economic realities of the country. Now, more than ever before, there is a need to cut down the cost of governance and block all the conduit pipes of wastage that are draining the nation’s economy and put the money into useful ventures.

By: Calista Ezeaku