Former Nigerian president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has reacted to the 3-months ultimatum issued by the Arewa Northern Youths Forum, ANYF, ordering the vacation of Igbos from northern states or they be forced out.
In reaction to the ultimatum which has caused unrest in several quarters of the nation, the former president took to his social media page on Facebook to write: “Every Nigerian citizen has an inalienable right to reside in any part of Nigeria. As Nigerians, we should all tailor our thoughts, actions and utterances to promote this and other rights. We are all brothers and sisters born from the womb of mother Nigeria. There are no still births or unwanted births from our mother. We are all one and equal and it is the responsibility of all men of goodwill to appeal for calm and unity in our beloved country Nigerians. GEJ.”
Nigerians however were not inclined to believing the former president as some called him out on corruption allegations.
One of the social media users who replied the ex-president’s message wrote: We are one Nigeria so you said. When some people are so rich that some of there stolen wealth the hide in abandoned apartment and graveyards, while in the same country some people are dieing of hunger. What a wicked and greedy people in a nation called Nigeria. The youth are not happy at all, that is why you see all sort of agitation here and there. To butress my point please read this…. STATE OF THE NATION A SELF DECEIVING COUNTRY CALLED NIGERIA
Twenty-one senators currently receiving pensions from government as ex-governors and deputy governors.
The current senators who once served as governors are Bukola Saraki of Kwara, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano, Kabiru Gaya of Kano, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Theodore Orji of Abia, Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa, Sam Egwu of Ebonyi, Shaaba Lafiagi of Kwara, Joshua Dariye of Plateau Jonah Jang of Plateau, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto, Ahmed Sani Yarima of Zamfara, Danjuma Goje of Gombe, Bukar Abba Ibrahim of Yobe, Adamu Aliero of Kebbi, George Akume of Benue and Isiaka Adeleke of Osun.
The former deputy governors in the Senate are Ms Biodun Olujimi of Ekiti and Enyinaya Harcourt Abaribe of Abia. Danladi Abubakar Sani served as the acting governor of Taraba state.
Many former governors are also in Buhari’s Cabinet as Ministers. This includes: Ngige, Fayemi, Amaechi and Fashola (SAN).).
In Akwa Ibom State, the law provides that ex governors and deputy governors receive pension equivalent to the salaries of the incumbent. The package also includes a new official car and a utility vehicle every four years; one personal aide; a cook, chauffeurs and security guards for the governor at a sum not exceeding N5 million per month and N2.5 million for his deputy governor.
In Rivers, the law provides 100 percent of annual basic salaries for the ex-governor and deputy, one residential house for the former governor “anywhere of his choice in Nigeria”; one residential house anywhere in Rivers for the deputy, three cars for the ex-governor every four years and two cars for the deputy every four years.
It is alledged that in Lagos, a former governor will get two houses, one in Lagos and another in Abuja, estimated at N500 million in Lagos and N700 million in Abuja. He also receives six new cars to be replaced every three years; a furniture allowance of 300 percent of annual salary to be paid every two years, and a N30 million pension annually for life.
This is the reality for all the 21 ex govenors and deputy governors who are currently serving as senators. This same is also true of ex governors who are now serving as Ministers.
NOW I ASK: How many years did these guys serve their states as governors and deputy governors? Is it more than 8years? Is that a reason to be entitled to pensions for life? Even if they are entitled to pension for life, must it be so outrageous?
As if that is not enough: HOW on earth can any public servant with conscience collect salaries and allowances as a senator or minister, and still have the audacity to claim pensions equivalent to the salaries of a serving governor in Nigeria?
IT ISN’T ROCKET SCIENCE……
Once you are elected a senator or appointed a minister, you must forfeit any pension accruing to you from government at any level until you vacate office. This should also apply to senators collecting military pensions like former Senate President David Mark.
Yet these senators are in the Senate that is inviting the current finance minister to discuss the recession of Nigeria’s economy. A senator pockets approximately 30 million naira monthly as salary and allowances. Our “honourables” are not interested to make laws that could restructure our country into economically autonomous federating States/Regions to save the country from sectional agitations that is threatening to destroy Nigeria. The sad and hopeless situation is that the rest of Nigerians are busy arguing based on party, ethnic and affiliations while these enemies of state continue to rape us.
Do you know that it costs tax payers 290m Naira yearly to maintain each member of our National Assembly in a country where nothing works & 80% of population earn below 300 Naira a day ? A working day earning of a senator is more than a yearly income of a doctor; it’s more than the salary of 42 Army generals or 48 professors or 70 commissioners of police or more than twice the pay of the US President or 9 times the salary of US congressmen.
It’s high time the country had a referendum on those outrageous salaries of Senators, House of Representative members and other political office holders.”
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