SERAP Sues Akpabio, Umahi, Tambuwal, 7 Others For Unlawful Payment Of Salaries, Pension

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a suit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Minister of Works Dave Umahi, Former House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, and seven other senators.

They are accused of collecting salaries and pensions as senators, which SERAP deems unlawful.

VerseNews reports that in the suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja with the number FHC/ABJ/CS/1360/2023, seeks an order of mandamus to compel the accused senators to cease collecting both salaries and pensions and to return any pensions received to their respective state treasuries.

SERAP also demands that the accused senators clarify and disclose whether they are currently collecting both salaries and pensions as former governors and disclose the details and amounts of the pensions they have received.

SERAP argues that the Seventh Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) prohibits former governors from collecting both salaries and pensions, and it is a breach of their fiduciary duties to do so.

The organization contends that unless these reliefs are granted, the former governors will continue to enjoy both life pension packages and salaries as serving public officers, which is detrimental to the public interest.