Emulate Gbenga Daniel And Dankwambo, Reject Illegal Pension – Falana Urges Akpabio, Others

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and other former governors in the executive and legislature to follow in the footsteps of Gbenga Daniel and Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo by rejecting the payment of “illegal pension?”

Falana, who is the chairman of Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond, made the call in a statement on Sunday.

He recalled how Senators Daniel, and Dankwambo, in compliance with court judgement, requested the governors of Ogun and Gombe States, respectively, to stop paying them pensions.

He praised the senators for taking such bold steps at a time when not less than 20 former governors in the executive and legislative branches of government are receiving double salaries.

The statement read in part “In a landmark judgment delivered on November 26 2019, Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo (now retired) declared the payment of the pension illegal and unconstitutional.

“Consequently, the Court ordered the Accountant-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to recover the life pensions collected by former governors serving as Senators and Ministers.

“Similarly, in suit NO: NICN/JOS/26/2016 (Alhaji Garba Umar v Taraba State Government) Justice K. I. Amadi of the National Industrial Court declared as null and void the payment of pension and gratuity to former governors and deputy governors. The pension was provided for in Taraba State Governor and Deputy Governor’s Pension Law 2015.”

Falana has been vocal against the payment of pensions to ex-governors, especially those elected as legislators or appointed in the Federal Executive after their tenures as governor.