Secret Reason Lagos Is Stopping Pension For Tinubu, Others – PDP Chief

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP chieftain in Lagos State, Babatunde Gbadamosi has alleged a secret reason for the decision of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to abolish the pension for former governors and their deputies.

The decision strips the governor’s political benefactor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his successors as governor, Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode of benefits which is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of naira.

Tinubu has, however, said that it would do little to him as he donates whatever he gets to charity while Fashola has been quoted as saying that he does not receive the benefits.

Nevertheless, the decision has been welcomed with rapturous approval across the state.

However, responding to the decision, Gbadamosi in a series of tweets alleged that the decision was imposed on the authorities by the Nigerian Pension Commission, as a requirement for accessing funds in the capital market.

“The salaries of Governors and their deputies are not subjected to pension deductions, their own pensions can only be fixed by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

“Lagos State is one of the States using Tax payers money to make this illegal pension payment to non-contributing ex-governors/deputies, a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

“When Lagos State wanted to issue Bonds to raise N100billion from the Capital Market in Jan 2020, the Nigeria Pension Commission disqualified the Bond from accessing pension monies in custody of the PFAs.

“Lagos Government had to sign an undertaking to correct the illegal pension payment provisions in its pension law before the disqualification was lifted.

“Lagos was then able to borrow N100billion in Jan 2020 to spend on projects yet to be properly accounted for.

“Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court, in a suit filed by SERAP in 2017, in judgement last year December ordered that the Attorney General of the federation to challenge the legality of the pension payments to ex-governors and their deputies.

“The National Industrial Court in January 2020, also declared as null and void, payment of pension and gratuity to former governors and their deputies. This is the position of the law as of now, in the absence of any Appeal Court order setting it aside.

“Lagos State intends to borrow additional huge sums of money from the Capital Market again, but it must cancel the illegal payments to governors/deputies by revoking Ex Governors Pension Law in order for PENCOM to qualify it’s new borrowing for PFAs’ investments.

“Sanwoolu’s decision to cancel the ex- Governors pension law is not altruistic and should not be applauded. The decision to cancel the illegal pension is by compulsion and not by choice.”

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