₦airaland Forum

April 8, 2019
Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja

The Lagos State Government has refused to disclose how much it has spent on houses, vehicles and allowances of its former governors and ex-deputy governors.

The PUNCH had in December 2018 written a letter to the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, requesting to know how much of taxpayers’ money had been spent on former governors and former deputy governors based on the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension) Law No 11 official Gazette of Lagos State, 2007.


Specifically, The PUNCH asked for the amount that had been spent on purchasing houses and vehicles for all former governors and deputy governors and other allowances paid to them from 2007 to December 2018.

Repeated calls to the Commissioner for Information, Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan, proved futile as he asked our correspondent to give him more time.
Subsequent phone calls and text messages were not acknowledged by the commissioner.

The Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension) Law No 11 official Gazette of Lagos State, 2007 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 states, “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 state government has built houses for former governors of the state in Lagos and Abuja in line with the law.

A house was bought for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in Ikoyi and the Asokoro area of Abuja.

Houses have also been built for former Governor Babatunde Fashola, who is now the Minister of Power, Works and Housing.


Others who are benefitting from the law are former deputy governors Femi Pedro, Abiodun Ogunleye, Sarah Sosan, and Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and his deputy, Oluranti Adebule, are expected to be added to the list of beneficiaries once their tenure expires next month.

A former governor is also entitled to six new cars every three years, 100 per cent of the basic salary of the serving governor (N7.7m 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 (N23.3m); house maintenance allowance, which is 10 per cent of basic salary (N778,296); utility allowance, which is 20 per cent of the salary (N1.5m) and car maintenance allowance, which is 30 per cent of the annual basic salary (N2.3m).

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 (N1.9m).
The law adds that a former governor is entitled to domestic workers comprising a cook, a steward, a gardener and others whose appointments are pensionable.

A former governor will also be entitled to eight policemen and two officials of the Department of State Services for life, according to the Lagos law.

However, the law does not state how much can be spent on building houses, procuring vehicles and health issues.
The information was what necessitated the FOI request.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria had, in its 2018 Accountability Index scored, Lagos 29 per cent on government transparency.

ICAN ranked Kaduna, Abia, Anambra, Kebbi, Ekiti and Jigawa states higher than Lagos State.

The state government has repeatedly ignored FOI requests, insisting that the Act only applies to Federal Government agencies despite a judgment by a Court of Appeal last year that the FOI Act is applicable to all states in Nigeria.The information was what necessitated the FOI request.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria had, in its 2018 Accountability Index scored, Lagos 29 per cent on government transparency.

ICAN ranked Kaduna, Abia, Anambra, Kebbi, Ekiti and Jigawa states higher than Lagos State.

The state government has repeatedly ignored FOI requests, insisting that the Act only applies to Federal Government agencies despite a judgment by a Court of Appeal last year that the FOI Act is applicable to all states in Nigeria.

https://www.punchng.com/lagos-silent-on-amount-spent-on-tinubu-others-pension-benefits/amp/

Lagosians,this is is the man that is stealing your money in the name of pension after 8 years of looting the state as governor.

Our democracy is just damm too expensive.......... with all these people have stolen the govt.still a pay outrageous benefits to them

Please don't bring up the topic oh they will block you here if you do.

Just change the topic to " Kwara silent about Sarakis Billion Naira pension " and see zombies rush here yelling thief thief thief

Eh eh wetin Tinubu Do again now...make una allow this man rest now

They will never speak.
See how they avoid this thread

law says, law says, according to the law... law law law...
who even write this Lagos law seff....the fellow must be a greedy fellow

Lagos State government that is allergic to the Freedom Of Information(FOI) bill.

WiLdFLame:
Eh eh wetin Tinubu Do again now...make una allow this man rest now

Your Robin Hood will not rest until he has vomited all the yams he ate.

This is one of the reasons I see Lagos PDP as just cretinous politicians.
Every man has his price. What can't be gotten officially can be gotten unofficially. Give somebody the right inducement, and he will sing for you, backed with official documents.

Why would Lagos government respond to such a stupid question. Yes I called it stupid because they are 36 states in Nigeria, and except punch can confirm that they know how much is been paid to former governors of each of the other 35 states then the focus on Lagos and on Tinubu will not be tolerated

MOD close this thread , and ban the op....



Rabble rousers

BlackfireX:
MOD close this thread , and ban the op....



Rabble rousers

Close the thread because your Robin Hood hero is called out right?

lexyking:
Why would Lagos government respond to such a stupid question. Yes I called it stupid because they are 36 states in Nigeria, and except punch can confirm that they know how much is been paid to former governors of each of the other 35 states then the focus on Lagos and on Tinubu will not be tolerated

Lagos should not respond to it. I want punch to go to court to enforce the FOI.

Punch has lost meaning and interpretation of Freedom of Information. They should take it to court and seek ruling so they can be taught why this does not fall under FOI.

.

LASG is antagonistic to the FOI hence the secretive nature of all those bogus benefits while the populace continue to "suffering & smiling."

A man that is not transparent in his dealings in Lagos wants to become president and some people are even considering it while calling him brilliant.

Some people are just brainless, you never hear the cost of a project in Lagos except if they are against you like that of Ambode.

Ambode built a good number of bridges eg: Ajah bridge, Airport road, pen cinema bridge, hundreds of roads, oshodi interchange, brt buses and a countless others all in four years.. One term, it seems introverted Governors are just the best, but how do you get introverts to lead when the loud are just everywhere.

Yanmiris taking panadol on others headaches

slimfit1:
Please don't bring up the topic oh they will block you here if you do.

so you this is an extension of TVC and the Nation newspaper

surgical:
so you this is an extension of TVC and the Nation newspaper

Tinu at the top ni