Malik Yahya/
Nigerian masses have been reminded of how governors who find it hard to pay workers a living wage still feed fat on tax-payers money as they receive N120million yearly for their upkeep and much more as pension in retirement.
The reminder came through a petition sent to the Zamfara State government by a former governor who was allegedly denied his entitlements.
In the letter leaked on Social Media, former Zamfara State governor and ex-chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, Abdul’aziz Yari Abubakar, revealed what ex-governors and their deputies have been receiving as monthly pensions and allowances, even as civil servants who served the country for 35 years continue to receive pittance as a pension.
The petition was addressed to the present governor with the caption “Grant of Pension and other Allowances for Former Governor, Former Deputy Governor, Former Speaker and Former Deputy Speaker of Zamfara State”.
It reads: “I wish to humbly draw your attention to the provision of the law on the above subject matter which was amended and assented to on the 23rd of March 2019.
“The law provides, among other entitlements of the Former Governor. a monthly upkeep allowance at Ten Million Naira (N10,0D0,000) only and a pension equivalent to the salary he was receiving while in office.
“Accordingly. you may wish to be informed that since the expiration of my tenure on the 29th of May, 2019, I was only paid the upkeep allowance twice i.e for the month of June and July while my pension for the month of June has not been paid.
“As the law provides. the pension and upkeep allowance are not in the category of privileges that can be truncated without any justifiable reason, hence the need to request you to kindly direct the settlement of the total backlog of the pension and upkeep as provided by the law.
“While thanking you most sincerely for the anticipated positive action. please accept my high regards and esteem.”
The letter was signed by the former governor, Hon Abdul’aziz Yari Abubakar, the Shattiman Mafara.
