Former governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Raji Fashola has said, he is not receiving pension from his state government. The minster of power, works and housing, in the president Buhari led administration, said, he did not receive any pension from Lagos State.
This is according to his Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Hakeem Bello, the minister recently made it clear that he had no reason to ask the Lagos State Government to stop paying him a pension when from the outset he never accepted it.
When asked if he would also ask the Lagos State Government to stop paying him pension, just like the Senate President , Bukola Saraki did, Bello replied“The minister spoke on Hard Copy, a programme on Channels TV on Friday .
In that programme, he said you don't ask Lagos State Government to stop what you never accepted in the first place.“This your question was one of the questions they asked him during that TV programme and what I told you was his response"
Other ex governors in President Muhammadu Buhari's cabinet, that followed suit are Chris Ngige, Labour and Employment and Kayode Fayemi, Mines and Steel Development, both said they are not receiving pensions from their state governments.
Ngige also denied receiving double emoluments from the federal and state governments. he had made a similar denial last year following a public outcry against public office holders receiving double emolument as former governors and as serving senators.
Ngige said that the petition by the Socio- Economic Rights and Accountability Project to the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in which he was mentioned only showed that proper investigation was not carried out before his inclusion as a beneficiary of double pay from the government or it was inspired by mischief.
Ngige denied drawing double emoluments from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government or the Anambra State Government since he was elected and appointed at various times into public offices contrary to media reports.
Ngige said that apart from two utility vehicles that were given to him some years ago, he had not accessed the privileges approved for him by the constitution as a former governor of Anambra State.
Ngige , who made the comment in a statement on Tuesday , said that he had not received the severance benefits approved for former governors and their deputies by the state assembly.
The minister said that he was aware of the position of the law , the moral implications of receiving double emolument which was also against virtues of honesty and transparency being pursued by the government.
Also, Fayemi said he had not even received his severance package from the Ekiti State Government as approved by the Revenue Mobilisation , Allocation and Fiscal Commission since leaving office in 2014 .
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media , Mr. Yinka Oyebode , Fayemi, who is now Minister of Mines and Steel Development , said he had not received any kobo as pension. Fayemi had challenged SERAP to apologise to him for including his name among former governors receiving double remuneration or face legal action.
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