Fidelis Oditah (A Senior Advocate of Nigeria/Queen’s Counsel)
I don’t know whether the N300m mansions are in lieu of their pension or in addition to it. But on the face of it, the money (N200m) looks outrageous, especially for a comrade governor like (Adams) Oshiomhole. One has to see the money in the context of other emoluments and because I don’t know the emoluments, it is difficult for me to say categorically whether this is very high, moderate or reasonable.
But I think we might also object to the principle that someone, who has served for eight years, should be built a mansion. I think it is just outrageous as a concept. But if that is what has been in practice for a long time, it is difficult for one to quarrel with it. If we are starting with a blank piece of paper, it will be difficult to justify building any type of mansion for anyone who has served for eight years.
What is wrong with the pension? There is even a question mark on whether they should be entitled to pension. And to compound the difficulty, we then have the idea of spending N200m for the governor and N100m for his deputy. The whole idea of giving gifts to departing governors is nauseating. It is wrong as a matter of moral principle.
Yusuf Ali (A Senior Advocate of Nigeria)
If somebody has served his country properly, there is something called reward system. If our leaders know that when they leave office, they can still live in comfort relative to what they were used to while in office, it will reduce the problem of corruption. It means they will not start to look for money by all means to build their befitting houses when they leave office. If this (N300m mansions) will stem illegal material acquisition by the people in government, I think it will serve a good purpose. At least, a governor or deputy governor will know that he can still live some relatively comfortable life after leaving the office and that can dissuade our leaders from dipping their hands in public funds.
However, because the economy is in the doldrums, the money is too much. But we should look at the long-run effect of providing the mansions for them. In the short run, it looks outlandish but in the long run, if such a policy will institute transparency and incorruptibility in our system, so be it.
Malachy Ugummadu (Human rights activist)
This exorbitant retirement package for political office holders has generated deep resentment in Nigerians who are the victims of bad governance. It is way out of proportion in relation to the economic situation and status of the people they led. It is not peculiar to Edo State. Lagos, Kano, Akwa Ibom and a few other states have such an elaborate retirement package for their ex-governors and their deputies, in which some of them were given houses even outside the states they governed.
What is the justification for that? These are public servants, who are also entitled to a number of emoluments, including pension, that are never tampered with and disbursed as and when due. The bigger question is what is the justification of the package for a man, who serves for four years, or at most eight years, in relation to civil servants who have spent about 35 years, serving the state?
Political office holders have access to slush funds during their stay in office, including the unaccounted and non-refundable security vote. What then is the justification if pensioners are not paid while somebody who spends four or eight years gets an automatic entitlement that runs into property worth N200m or N100m?
The crux of the matter is the disconnection between the ruling class and the downtrodden masses, whose lives in terms of shortage of accommodation and other important needs of life are discountenanced and relegated in the entire equation.
Tayo Oyetibo (A Senior Advocate of Nigeria)
Most states have been doing that now and it is necessary to look into it. If a man serves a state for four years or a maximum of eight years and you give him an exorbitant package, what of the civil servants who have served the state for more than 30 years? I think most of those provisions are self-serving. Many states have done the package because they enjoy autonomy at the state level and it would be difficult to have it struck out. There is the need for constitutional amendment to prevent state assemblies from passing laws that would enable governors and deputy governors to take away such huge packages. States will continue to do so until there is a constitutional provision that will prevent the enactment of such a law.
A governor and his deputy should not take more than what public servants get as pension. They should be restricted to the normal pension and benefits of regular public servants. They have not served better than a permanent secretary who might have served the state for more 20 or 30 years. If a retired PS is not entitled to a house, why should a governor enjoy such package? I think it is wrong and discriminatory. It is a law specially made for governors and their deputies. If the President of Nigeria does not enjoy such latitude, why should they now enjoy more than the President?
Idris Miliki (Director, Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution)
It is condemnable in the sense that they (Oshiomhole and his deputy) did not spend their salaries for eight years. As governor and deputy governor, all the expenses they incurred were borne by the state. Therefore, if they had saved their salaries for eight years, that should be enough for them. They can be entitled to pension according to the provision of the law. But where did they derive such a huge package (N300m mansions) in the 1999 Constitution? It is outrageous and unacceptable.
Before Oshiomhole became governor, he had houses as a union leader and built another one while he was in power. So, on what basis do we need that kind of huge amount to build houses for him and his deputy when workers’ salaries are not paid and people are unemployed? If he said he was a comrade governor, he should reject that kind of an offer. How many houses can he live in at a time?
We, therefore, reject such benefits accruing to any state governor and his deputy. We want to state clearly that the activities of state houses of assembly should not be sacrosanct. Imagine the number of lives N300m can better. If it is used as loan, it will really help. There are some women who just need about N100,000 or even N50,000 to start a business. It means not less than 3,000 persons would have benefitted from that money and that can save their lives.
So, the legitimate pension that is provided for in the constitution is enough for a governor and his deputy. We urge the people of Edo State to rise against it and condemn the activity of the state assembly for making such a pronouncement and approval.
Debo Adeniran (Chairman, Coalition against Corrupt Leaders)
The retirement benefit that accrued to the former governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomhole, and his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu, was amended by the Edo State House of Assembly to make provisions for the acquisition of houses worth N300m for both beneficiaries. Other benefits attached to this provision include pension for life at a rate equivalent to 100 per cent of their last annual salary, three vehicles to be bought by the state government and replaced every five years as well as free medical treatment for the governor and the members of his immediate family.
This is an opportunity for Oshiomhole to show the people of Edo State that he is a man of the people by rejecting the proposed retirement benefit by the Edo State parliament. CACOL expects the former governor to reject the proposed retirement benefits because of his history as a comrade who has fought against government policies aimed at sidelining the people from the benefits of development. We are also expecting the former governor and his deputy to show the people of Edo State and Nigerians generally that they are noble men and will not stoop so low to accrue to themselves the wealth of their state.
Compiled by Afeez Hanafi
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