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.
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“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.
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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.
