April 20, 2010
The Kwara State Stakeholders Forum has cried out against Governor Bukola Saraki’s Executive Bill, one section of which it describes as “self-serving, self-seeking and selfish.”In a public petition, the Forum laments the failure of the EFCC and the ICPC, for over seven years, to investigate the “large-scale rip-off that has characterized governance under Governor Bukola Saraki’s administration.”“We have invited the anti-corruption bodies, the EFCC and the ICPC, to look into the books of the government of the state since 2003 when Bukola Saraki took over the rein of power but we are yet to see any action taken by the two anticorruption bodies.”
The Forum describes Governor Saraki as a “sacred cow who has been living above the law of the land.”
Signed by Chief Wole Oke, Barrister Kunle Sulyman, and Comrade Bisi Fakayode on behalf of the Forum, the petition said, “The bill is heartless and shows no trait whatsoever of concern and compassion for the people of the sate, the preponderance of whom are peasant farmers who find it really difficult to even pay for the university education of a single child in an average family of four children. The bill is callous and very insensitive to the welfare needs of the people.”
They called on the House of Assembly either to throw out the bill completely, or dilute it comprehensively to reflect the economic realities of the state and to demonstrate that the legislators are conscious of the priority needs of their constituents.
They further warned: “Our legislators should not be party to his subtle design of executive grand larceny.”
Full text below:
The Kwara State Stakeholders Forum
c/o Dr. Amuda Aluko (Tafida of Ilorin)
Who Will Save Kwarans From Governor Bukola Saraki’s Executive Bill?
For the upward of seven years now, the concerned people of Kwara state have been drawing public attention to the large-scale rip-off that has characterized governance under Governor Bukola Saraki’s administration. We have invited the anti-corruption bodies, the EFCC and the ICPC, to look into the books of the government of the state since 2003 when Bukola Saraki took over the rein of power but we are yet to see any action taken by the two anticorruption bodies.
To us, Bukola Saraki has become a sacred cow who has been living above the law of the land. However, as patriots and concerned citizens, we remain undaunted in our efforts to see that the law takes its course. We present below the latest efforts of Bukola Saraki government to ensure its continuous bleeding of the state, even after the expiration of its two terms in office on May 29, 2011. We present hereunder, for public attention, excerpts from the ten-section obnoxious executive bill, which Governor Bukola Saraki has sent to the state House of Assembly. The sections considered relevant to this write-up are 1,2,3,6,8 and the SCHEDULE.
“A LAW TO MAKE PROVISIONS FOR PESNSION [SIC] OF EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR AND DEPUTRY GOVERNOW OR KWARA STATE AND OTHER MATTERS CONNECTED HEREWITH. THE KWARA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY enacts as follows:
1. (1) Any person who held office as an elected governor of deputy governor (referred to in this Law as a public office holder) shall be entitled to the payment of pension at the rate equivalent to the annual basic salary of the incumbent governor of deputy governor and other benefits as provided by the revenue mobilization allocation and fiscal commission.
(2) Any person duly elected as public office holder shall upon the successful completion of term be entitled to a grant of pension for life by the state; provided that such a person shall not be entitled to a grant of pension under this law if he was removed from office by the process of impeachment or for breach of any provision of the constitution.
(3) The sum payable as pension under the provisions of this law shall be charged upon the consolidated revenue fund of the state.
1. The total emolument of the public office holder shall include salary, allowance and fringe benefits as contained in the schedule to this law.
2. Subject to the provisions of section 124 of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999, the pension mentioned in this law shall be payable at the expiration of the tenure of the holder of office.
3. Where the public office holder vacates office.
4. Where the public office holder dies in office.
5. Subject to the provision of section 1(1) of this law, any person who has held office as governor or deputy governor from the year 1999 shall be entitled to this pension scheme.
6. There shall be provided to the governor or deputy governor.
7. A pension or gratuity payable under this law shall not be assignable or transferable or liable to the withheld, attached or levied for the purpose of satisfying: (a) A debt due to federal or state government (b) An order of any court for the payment of periodical sums of money towards the maintenance of the wife or former wife or child of the person in respect of whom the pension has become payable.
1. In this law, where it is expressly provided or the context otherwise requires.
2. This law may be cited as the public office holder (payment of pension) law 2009.
D. Accommodation: (i) One residential house each fore the governor and deputy at any location of their choice in Kwara state; (ii) One residential house in the federal capital territory of the governor on two consecutive terms.
E. Annual Vacation: (iii) 30 days annual vacation outside Nigeria with 30 days estacodes and travel allowances for the governor.
F. Transport: Travel expenses allowances for the governor. (a) Three cars for the governor and in addition one pilot and two backup cars to be replaced every three years en bloc.
G. Furniture: Payable every two years en bloc.
H. Domestic staff: Cook, steward, gardener and other domestic staff who shall be pensionable.
I. Medical: Free medical treatment for the governor and deputy governor and members of their immediate families.
J. Security: To be provided as listed below: Two SSS details for the governor and one female officer one SSS detail for the deputy governor. Eight policemen (one each for house and personal security) for the governor. Two policemen (one each for house and personal security) for the deputy governor.
K. Drivers: Pensionable.
OUR VIEWS
ON SECTION 6: The bill is self-serving, self-seeking and selfish.
Civilian administration began in Kwara state in 1979 when Alhaji Adamu Atta was the first democratically elected Executive Governor of the state and Alhaji Jimoh Shittu was the deputy governor. Alhaji Adamu Atta who is still alive governed for four years, October 1, 1979 to September 30, 1983. He was not impeached. Chief C.O. Adebayo, having defeated the incumbent governor Alhaji Adamu Atta in the governorship election of 1983 became the second executive governor and ruled the state between October 1, 1983 until the military took over in December 30, 1983. Chief C.O. Adebayo was not impeached.
He is still alive although his deputy, Alhaji Usman Abatemi, has died. In January 1992, Alhaji Shaaba Lafiago was sworn in as the third executive governor of the state having been popularly elected in a democratically conducted election. He governed between January 1992 and November 17, 1993 when the army took over the control of the nationa [sic]. Alhaji Shaaba was not impeached. He still alive [sic] today though his deputy, Chief Ojo Fadumila has died.
Under the current 4th republic, which commenced in 1999, Alhaji Mohammed Lawal had ruled the state for four years before Bukola Saraki defeated him in an election in 2003. Alhaji Mohammed Lawal unfortunately is dead. It is noteworthy that Bukola’s bill is now made retroactive to take effect from 1999 which makes Lawal and Bukola the only beneficiaries of the new law being contemplated. However, in reality the only beneficiary of the law is Bukola since Lawal has died over two years ago.
We say the proposed bill under construction in the House of Assembly is selfish, self-seeking and self-serving. Only recently, the National Assembly passed a similar law in respect of pension for former democratically elected presidents and heads of state. That law was made retroactive to take effect from the first republic and that is why Alhaji Shahu Shagari and Dr. Ekwueme, the duo who steered the ship of the nation between 1979 and 1983 as president and vice president respectively are automatic beneficiaries of the bill recently passed into law by the National Assembly.
That is why Olusegum Obasanjo is a beneficiary of the law. Why has Bukola’s bill so designed in a way that he is effectively the sole beneficiary? We are saying the law should be made to include all those who have governed the state since 1979. They have offered meritorious service to the people of the state selflessly and conscientiously. To decide to exclude them as Bukola proposes in his bill to the House of Assembly is mean and petty, it is demonstrative of a total lack of statesmanship and foresight since no condition is permanent and no success is forever.
On section 8- We ask why should the private debt of a former governor be the concern of the state? How he expends his pension should not be part of the law. If Bukola has any debt to settle after leaving office, he should not make his private affairs part of a law that should stand for all time. That section of the bill should be totally expunged.
On the schedule- We are flabbergasted by the contents of the schedule attached to the bill, which spells out the responsibilities of the people of the state have to shoulder in order to help a former governor continue to maintain his standard of living as if he were still a serving governor. The schedule demonstrates Bukola Saraki’s lack of consideration for the economic stature and status of the state, a state which depends almost entirely on allocation from the federation account; a state that is often derisively referred to as “civil service state” because of its low level of industrial development.
Under item D of the schedule- Bukola Saraki is asking for “one residential house in the federal capital territory for the governor of two consecutive terms.” This, to us, is the height of a law made to suit that personal need of an individual. Bukola is the only person who is into a second term as governor of the state, hence the only beneficiary of that provision. Moreover, we ask, can the finance of the state (where internally generated revenue under Bukola Saraki’s administration today is below N300,000,000 per month, coupled with the uncertainty in the level of monthly inflow from the federation account to Kwara state) accommodate such private luxury of a former governor? In another context, what is the correlation between a former governor being provided a luxury mansion in Abuja and the people of Kwara state and their priority needs.
Why the caveat of a two-term governor? Our contention is that a law should not be made to suit the whims and caprices of an individual or to gratify an individual’s insatiable appetite for acquisition of property. A law is not to satisfy the desire of a single person but rather a law is expected to be made to endure and serve the people. Our belief at this point is that Bukola is merely coveting the Kwara state government mansion built by the state government and serving as the state liaison office in Abuja. The proposed law lacks human face; it is wicked and inconsiderate. How can a governor, under whose administration, the sate’s civil servants are the least paid in the country; under whose administration students are not enjoying scholarship awards; under whose administration the rural area are crying for attention to be provided with the most basic necessities of life like portable water [sic], electricity and all-season motorable roads; under whose administration pupils in primary schools are still learning under the shade of trees because there are no classrooms; under whose administration civil servants are marking time on the same grade level for six years without getting the promotion due to them; under whose administration the state has been recording mass failure in NECO examination for the past several years because there are no materials and equipment for students, particularly in the science laboratories; under whose administration pensioners are not paid their dues, a situation which has led to the death of uncountable number of pensioners while awaiting payment of their pension arrears and, which has led this class of citizens (pensioners) of the state, who have conscientiously and faithfully served their fatherland, to being compelled to drag the state to provide him with six cars every three years; pay 300percent of his annual basic salary for furniture allowance; free medical treatment for him and members of his immediate family (presumably in hospitals in any part of the world), when basic primary healthcare delivery is not even available to the citizens under the current Bukola administration and when the very basic necessities of life for the people cannot even be met by the sate under this same Bukola Saraki administration.
The bill is heartless and shows no trait whatsoever of concern and compassion for the people of the sate, the preponderance of whom are peasant farmers who find it really difficult to even pay for the university education of a single child in an average family of four children. The ill is callous and very insensitive to the welfare needs of the people.
To us, this is an anachronism! Out of power, Bukola still wants to continue to intimidate us with his siren with which he wants to continue to chase us out of the road whenever he is passing by. No way! The Kwara state House of Assembly for the sake of their own names and for the sake of their progeny, in the interest of their integrity and most importantly in the interest of Kwarans whom they claim to represent, should either throw out the bill completely or comprehensively water it down to reflect the economic realities of the state and to demonstrate that they (the legislators) are conscious of the priority needs of their constituents. Our legislators should not be party tot his subtle design of executive grand larceny. Kwarans, shine your eyes.
Signed by:
Chief Wole Oke
Barrister Kunle Sulyman
Comrade Bisi Fakayode
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