By Abisola Olasupo
Abuja (Precise Post) – The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi on Thursday denied receiving pensions as the former governor of Rivers state.
“I have never requested for or collected one kobo as pension from R/State Govt,” Amaechi said on Twitter on Thursday.
“If offered, I will politely decline & request that the money should be given to Rivers State pensioners.”
Recalk that federal high court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the federal government to recover pensions and allowances paid to former and serving ministers and senators that are ex-governors.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) sued the federal government in 2017 over its “failure to stop former governors from receiving double pay and life pensions.”
“We’ve obtained a landmark judgment from the federal high court ordering @NigeriaGov to recover life pensions collected by Saraki, Akpabio, others & directing the AGF to challenge the legality of states’ pension laws permitting former governors to collect such pensions,” SERAP wrote on Twitter.
SERAP, however, named Amaechi amongst other former governors affected which include: Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Kabiru Gaya (Kano); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Theodore Orji (Abia); Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa); Sam Egwu (Ebonyi); Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara); Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Jonah Jang (Plateau); Ahmed Sani Yerima (Zamfara); Danjuma Goje (Gombe); Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe); Adamu Aliero (Kebbi); George Akume (Benue).
But Amaechi said no pension has been paid to him by Rivers State.
“I do not believe that I should receive pension as ex-gov of R/State while serving as a minister,” he said.
