Career
See How Much Akpabio, Others, Allegedly Earn As Ex-Governors Pension While In Senate
By Biztellers
According to SERAP, there are fourteen former governors in the 10th Senate who may be collecting life pensions running into billions of naira from their respective states. They made this known in a letter dated 3rd of June 2023 written to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The former governors are: Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom State); Adams Oshiomhole (Edo State); Adamu Aliero (Kebbi State); Dave Umahi (Ebonyi State); Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto State); and Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger State).
Others are: Ibrahim Danwkambo (Gombe State); Danjuma Goje (Gombe State); Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara State); Gbenga Daniel (Ogun State); Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto State); Orji Kalu (Abia State); Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe State); and Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa State).
“The states currently implementing life pensions for former governors reportedly include Akwa-Ibom, Abia, Edo, Jigawa, Niger, Kebbi, Kano, Sokoto, Jigawa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Benue, Gombe, Yobe, Taraba, Kaduna, Plateau, Katsina, Rivers, and Delta. Many of these states owe workers’ salaries and remain the poorest in the country.”
According to SERAP, under Akwa Ibom Life Pension law [as amended], a former governor is entitled to an annual pay of N200 million, two official vehicles with chauffeurs, furniture allowance of 300 per cent of basic salary replaceable every four years, an aide, a cook, and lifetime security guards worth N5 million monthly for ex-governors and N2.5 million for their deputies.
“There is also state-sponsored annual medical service of about N100 million for ex-governors and their spouses and N50 million for the ex-deputy governors, five-bedroom mansions in Abuja and Akwa Ibom. Other benefits include: 300% annual basic salary as ‘severance gratuity’, 300% of annual basic salary for ‘car maintenance’; 100% of annual basic salary for ‘entertainment’; and 100% of annual basic salary for ‘utility.’
In Abia State, a former governor is entitled to 100 per cent of the salary of the incumbent. Benefits for former governors include an official car, a police orderly, two operatives of two police men for the security of his house and allowances for cooks, stewards, driver and gardener.
In Gombe State, there is N300 million executive pension benefits for the ex-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.
A former governor is also entitled to two utility cars, while his deputy is entitled to one car to be replaced periodically. Both the governor, deputy governor and their wives are entitled to paid medical treatment at home or abroad.
In Sokoto State, former governors and deputy governors are to receive N200m and N180m respectively being monetization for other entitlements which include domestic aides, residential and office accommodation and vehicles replaceable every four years.
“According to the 2013 life pension law, the pension should be charged upon the consolidated revenue fund of the state. Former governors and their deputies are also entitled to other privileges, such as free medical treatment for themselves, their spouses and biological children both within and outside the country. They are also entitled to the payment of all their utilities, such as electricity and water bills.”
Under the life pension law in Jigawa, former governors are entitled to the same salary as the incumbent, two vehicles replaceable every four years, a six-bedroom apartment, furnished office, two personal assistants not below grade level 10, and two drivers.
In Edo State, former governors and their deputies are entitled to a house in any location of their choice, pension for life at 100 per cent of their last salary, three brand new cars after five years, drivers, domestic members of staff, medical bills for them and their immediate families, amongst many other benefits.
SERAP, in the letter, called on Akpabio, to put a stop to these entitlements.
Nigerian singer, songwriter, and actress Onyeka Onwenu passed away on Tuesday, shortly after performing at a birthday party in Lagos.
The celebrated music icon was attending a friend’s private birthday celebration when she took to the stage to perform. After returning to her seat, Onwenu suddenly collapsed, prompting immediate concern among the attendees.
Emergency responders arrived swiftly and transported her to Reddington Hospital on Victoria Island. Despite the medical team’s efforts, Onwenu was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival.
Sources close to the family revealed that she fell ill during the event, leading to her collapse.
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She said, “It is very sad. Onyeka Onwenu just performed at the birthday of Mrs. Stella Okoli of Emzor Pharmaceuticals tonight. After performing, she slumped. She was taken to Reddington Hospital but couldn’t make it.”
The exact cause of her death is yet to be confirmed.
Born on 31 May 1952, Onwenu was a multifaceted artist whose career spanned over four decades. She was not only a renowned singer and songwriter but also an actress, journalist, and politician.
Onwenu’s music blended genres such as highlife, reggae, and pop, often addressed social and political issues. Some of her most popular songs include “One Love,” “Iyogogo,” and “Ekwe.”
Onwenu was also known for her political activism. She was chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture and was appointed Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development.
Earlier this year, Onwenu revealed she was producing a movie chronicling her experiences in the music industry spanning several decades. She expressed her excitement to share her personal story and how Nigerian music has evolved over time.
Onyeka Onwenu, known for her contributions to the Nigerian music and film industry, leaves behind a legacy that will be remembered for generations.
Families of the Akwa Ibom State prospective corps members, kidnapped on August 17, 2023, en route to the Sokoto State orientation camp, are anxiously dealing with the abductors’ demand of N10 million per person for the safe return of their loved ones.
Mr. Mfon Friday, a relative of one of the victims, diclosed on Thursday in Uyo that a total ransom of N30.8 million has been paid to the abductors thus far.
Expressing frustration and concern for the parents’ immense hardship due to their children’s abduction, Friday spoke vehemently about the situation.
He recalled that initially, N13.6 million was paid by the parents, followed by an additional N17.2 million towards the end of last month (October). Despite these payments, their children remained unreleased.
He lamented: “As we speak, our children are still in Zamfara bush, including the driver of AKTC and it is over 100 days when they were kidnapped. When they called on Monday, the kidnappers said parents should pay another N70 million.
“Remember the first ransom the parents paid was over N13 million and it was paid collectively. But this time, they want the parents to pay N10 million each. Before end of October, N17 million was paid, making it about N30.8 million so far paid, yet they didn’t free those children.
“They only released one of the girls. And Monday this week, when they contacted us, they demanded N10 million from each family. How are we going to raise that kind of money? Those people failed to understand that those children are not from rich families.
“They even threatened to leave those children to die if the parents don’t pay the ransom very soon. I am very, very angry. Why can’t our government, the federal and state governments, do something to save the lives of those young graduates? In fact, when the parents heard that all the children were sick, you needed to see how they were crying, especially the mothers.
“They are not children of Policemen, the Army and politicians that is why they have been allowed to remain in kidnappers den till today? We are praying that nothing happens to them. And I am using this platform to appeal for urgent help from every well meaning citizens of this country, so that these children will not die in the kidnappers den.”
A sibling of one of the victims, speaking anonymously to Vanguard after the affected families convened in Uyo on Tuesday, revealed that the abductors received the N17.2 million ransom before releasing the female victims last month.
Reports suggested that these individuals were severely ill during their captivity.
“In fact, I learned that the remaining seven have also fallen seriously sick and that is why the kidnappers are demanding this huge ransom and threatening that if we don’t pay very soon, those children will die. I am scared, I don’t want my sister to die. We are orphans, we struggled to go to school,” she lamented
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