Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, says he has never ‘requested’ nor ‘collected’ pension from Rivers State as a former governor of the state.
Mr Amaechi was in a tweet on Thursday reacting to a court order for the Federal Government to recover pensions collected by former governors serving as ministers and members of the National Assembly.
“I have never requested for or collected one kobo as pension from R/State Govt. If offered, I will politely decline and request that the money should be given to Rivers State pensioners. I do not believe that I should receive pension as ex-gov of R/State while serving as a minister,” he said.
A Federal High Court in Lagos gave the order last week following an order of mandamus filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
The judgement comes in the wake of the annulment of pension law for former governors and other ex-public officers in Zamfara State, which provided for the upkeep of ex-governors to the tune of N700 million annually.
Rivers was listed as part of states which passed life pension laws for former governors and other ex-public officials.
The others states include Akwa Ibom, Edo, Delta, Kano, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Abia, Imo, Bayelsa, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Ondo, Ebonyi, Lagos, Niger, Kogi, and Katsina.
