SERAP gives Abuja council chair 14 days to withdraw life pensions for ex-officials


Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open letter to Mr Abdullahi Adamu Candido, chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), urging him to use his good offices and leadership position to “urgently withdraw and revoke the bill/edict for the unconstitutional and illegal payment of life pensions to former chairmen, vice-chairmen, speakers and other officials of AMAC.”

SERAP said: “if the bill/edict is not withdrawn within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter, we will take all appropriate legal action to challenge the illegality and to compel you to comply with our request.”

Under the bill/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. The payment of life pensions is expected to cost the council several millions of naira of taxpayers’ money annually.

In the letter dated 11 October 2019 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “The payment of life pensions to the council’s chairmen, vice-chairmen and speakers would cause massive financial crisis and cripple the council’s ability to discharge its mandates of providing public goods and services to the people of Abuja. It would also put in jeopardy citizens’ access to those services.”

According to SERAP: “The payment of life pensions to AMAC’s officials undermines the very concept of representative government, as it is a flagrant violation of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act. It amounts to an abuse of official power, position and resources for personal gains, and reverses the notion of government as public’s servant and not its master.”

The letter read in part: “The payment of life pensions to AMAC’s former officials is a copycat of the unconstitutional and illegal life pension laws that have been passed by several of the 36 state governments in Nigeria. Your council is setting a bad precedent as the first local council in Nigeria to introduce life pensions for its officials. This would send a dangerous message to other councils and risks opening the floodgates of life pension bills/edicts in several of the 774 local governments across the country.”

“Rather than spending millions of taxpayers’ money on life pensions, your leadership should prioritise addressing the poor state of basic amenities and deficits in educational institutions, primary healthcare facilities, potable water, sanitation and the basic infrastructural needs of the residents within the council’s area.”

“The leadership of AMAC ought to be exercised for the purposes of providing public goods and services to the people of Abuja and not to grant personal benefits for past officials. The AMAC is constitutionally and statutorily obliged to act in the public interest. Implementing the edict would defeat the very purpose for which your council is established, that is, to provide public goods and services.”

“Granting life pensions to council’s chairmen, vice-chairmen and speakers would seriously undermine the accountabilityof the council and citizens’ trust in its leadership.”

“People have the right to honest and faithful performance by public officials, who are under a fiduciary duty to the public. And no public officer should put himself/herself in a position in which his/her personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of the functions of his office. That is exactly the case with the life pensions.”

“The public trust to AMAC leaders and officials is not without its corresponding burden: accountability to the public is the obligation of all who hold public offices, including the position of chairman of AMAC. This notion of accountability requires you to take immediate steps to withdraw the life pensions bill/edict.”

“You reportedly stated that the payment of life pensions was meant to ‘honour past heroes of the council who sacrificed their talents and energy in building the council. This is to celebrate Nigeria’s 59th independence anniversary as well as celebrate the 35th anniversary since AMAC’s creation. It would be a disservice if the past leaders and ambassadors of the council are not honoured.’”

http://serap-nigeria.org/serap-gives-abuja-council-chair-14-days-to-withdraw-life-pensions-for-ex-officials.ngo/

I hope npower too will give pension to my engaged friends.

Noted

Jesus loves you. Goto church

SERAP always giving ultimantum that is never yielded to.

all the ultimatums that you have given before,was dia anyone that was effective? Just shut up abeg

Very good development

There are better things to spend the money on than some retired people who've already made a lot.

Africans are oppurtunist

Insensitive leaders!

funny country............

1. Good job from SERAP

2.Though, N500000 per annum as pension? While it is much, it isn't as bad as the life pensions for governors, senators, house of reps, and even our ex presidents.

Surviving in Nigeria is the worst thing ever!

Oh Nigeria.The politicians keeps making themselves rich even when they are out of office.Soon Nigeria upper and lower chambers will also reason in that path and give themselves life pensions.

Many ex-governors in the senate are earning life pensions and also collecting there Senate allowances and bogus salaries without doing anything but they keep on telling workers that they can't increase there salaries at labour agreed minimum wage consequential arrangement.

At this rate,Nigeria looks irredeemable. What is left is for them to give out Nigeria as a loan at a percentage as they smile to bank, stuff the monies in sucker pits and tanks,send there children overseas and enjoy there loots in posh styles with series of concubines.

Who did this to us?

PoliticalWitch:
1. Good job from SERAP

2.Though, N500000 per annum as pension? While it is much, it isn't as bad as the life pensions for governors, senators, house of reps, and even our ex presidents.

Something is wrong with you, don't act like an ignorant... That money will cause a great deal on tax payers, you still like the government squeezing life outta you?

omoadeleye:




Something is wrong with you, don't act like an ignorant... That money will cause a great deal on tax payers, you still like the government squeezing life outta you?

I was not supporting the payment of the pension, I was expressing surprise at the fact that it was that low. I was expecting something like N1Million per month for life....

Again, I was not backing the payment of the pension, which is why I said....GOOD JOB FROM SERAP.

Thank you.

Tobbydhayor90:
SERAP gives Abuja council chair 14 days to withdraw life pensions for ex-officials


Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open letter to Mr Abdullahi Adamu Candido, chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), urging him to use his good offices and leadership position to “urgently withdraw and revoke the bill/edict for the unconstitutional and illegal payment of life pensions to former chairmen, vice-chairmen, speakers and other officials of AMAC.”

SERAP said: “if the bill/edict is not withdrawn within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter, we will take all appropriate legal action to challenge the illegality and to compel you to comply with our request.”

Under the bill/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. The payment of life pensions is expected to cost the council several millions of naira of taxpayers’ money annually.

In the letter dated 11 October 2019 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “The payment of life pensions to the council’s chairmen, vice-chairmen and speakers would cause massive financial crisis and cripple the council’s ability to discharge its mandates of providing public goods and services to the people of Abuja. It would also put in jeopardy citizens’ access to those services.”

According to SERAP: “The payment of life pensions to AMAC’s officials undermines the very concept of representative government, as it is a flagrant violation of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act. It amounts to an abuse of official power, position and resources for personal gains, and reverses the notion of government as public’s servant and not its master.”

The letter read in part: “The payment of life pensions to AMAC’s former officials is a copycat of the unconstitutional and illegal life pension laws that have been passed by several of the 36 state governments in Nigeria. Your council is setting a bad precedent as the first local council in Nigeria to introduce life pensions for its officials. This would send a dangerous message to other councils and risks opening the floodgates of life pension bills/edicts in several of the 774 local governments across the country.”

“Rather than spending millions of taxpayers’ money on life pensions, your leadership should prioritise addressing the poor state of basic amenities and deficits in educational institutions, primary healthcare facilities, potable water, sanitation and the basic infrastructural needs of the residents within the council’s area.”

“The leadership of AMAC ought to be exercised for the purposes of providing public goods and services to the people of Abuja and not to grant personal benefits for past officials. The AMAC is constitutionally and statutorily obliged to act in the public interest. Implementing the edict would defeat the very purpose for which your council is established, that is, to provide public goods and services.”

“Granting life pensions to council’s chairmen, vice-chairmen and speakers would seriously undermine the accountabilityof the council and citizens’ trust in its leadership.”

“People have the right to honest and faithful performance by public officials, who are under a fiduciary duty to the public. And no public officer should put himself/herself in a position in which his/her personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of the functions of his office. That is exactly the case with the life pensions.”

“The public trust to AMAC leaders and officials is not without its corresponding burden: accountability to the public is the obligation of all who hold public offices, including the position of chairman of AMAC. This notion of accountability requires you to take immediate steps to withdraw the life pensions bill/edict.”

“You reportedly stated that the payment of life pensions was meant to ‘honour past heroes of the council who sacrificed their talents and energy in building the council. This is to celebrate Nigeria’s 59th independence anniversary as well as celebrate the 35th anniversary since AMAC’s creation. It would be a disservice if the past leaders and ambassadors of the council are not honoured.’”

http://serap-nigeria.org/serap-gives-abuja-council-chair-14-days-to-withdraw-life-pensions-for-ex-officials.ngo/

our politicians only think of themselves, greedy people

pawesome:
all the ultimatums that you have given before,was dia anyone that was effective? Just shut up abeg

Direct your frustration to government officials and leave SERAP alone.

Presidents, vice president, governor, deputy governors receive alarming pension on tax payers money.

Lagos state, akwa ibom state, kwara state and rivers state have terrible pension for ex governors and their deputy.

But my question is if you were in their shoes wld u do it differently? My answer to this is no. Some of us wld even do worse. So I came to a conclusion that we are a reflection of the kind of leaders we have.

Comment otherwise if you feel I have not said the truth.

[s]

post=83092685:
okay

[/s]

[s]

solmusdesigns:
Africans are oppurtunist

[/s]

Ok

Thief!

It’s not even the N500,000 ,it’s the floodgates this will open.Politicians always have a way of testing the water.Onces they start,they will find a way of increasing it.I am sure chairmen from Lagos state will be talking of N20m per month .All of these from 774 local government will put serious pressure on our meagre resources.
Please let’s all support SERAP on this.Please they need to take on the governors as well.They have all milked us already!

Xisnin:

Direct your frustration to government officials and leave SERAP alone.

Serap are useless .
totally uselesss
come and beat me

ok

���

Good

post=83092685:
Very good development

sharrrap