Obasanjo, Jonathan, Shagari owed 10-month allowances by Federal Government
The economic recession that has swept over the country in the past months have also knocked on the doors of former Nigerian Presidents, Shehu Shagari, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Goodluck Jonathan, as they are being owed 10-month allowances by the Federal Government, reports reveal.
Members of the Senate Committee of Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs, led by Senator Tijjani Kaura, made this development known on a visit to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on Thursday.
The SGF, Babachir Lawal explained that the unavailability of funds for the service-wide votes for salaries of ex-presidents is the reason for the debt.
“There is a department responsible for the payment of former Presidents. Presently, funds are not available in service-wide vote to do that. We are aware there was a protest in Bayelsa State that the former President (Jonathan) was not paid and we have explained that he is not the only one affected,” Lawal said.
“Others affected are the inter-religious council, traditional rulers’ council and so on. For some reasons, we have been writing and writing but there has been no response. And there is presently no money to pay them.
“The budget for this year’s Democracy Day was N33m and we had to do it on credit; we have yet to pay. There are lots of retreats which ought to be organised but there’s no money to do any. The last time we got any release was in August.”
According to PUNCH, an SGF source claimed part of the reasons the past president’s payments have not been made was due to the lack of approval by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The visiting senators, however, dismissed Lawal’s explanation, insisting that joint efforts should be made between the Office of the SGF and the committee towards ensuring that the leaders were paid the arrears.
The lawmakers emphasised the need to draw the attention of the Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance to the issue.
Several of the lawmakers in attendance bemoaned the development as “abnormal” and “unfair”, citing Shagari’s case as one of serious concern.
Senator Aliyu Wamakko, a former Governor of Sokoto State, berated the SGF by saying: “We can understand if former President Goodluck Jonathan has not being paid because he just left office. But for someone like Shagari, who lives from hand to mouth, it is something I can’t understand. This development is really unfortunate. It doesn’t indicate seriousness and it doesn’t indicate fairness.”
Lawal, in his defence, explained that the past administrations of Obasanjo and Jonathan had increased salaries just before they left office, before a review of the new schemes by his office took things back to normal.
“When I got into this office, there was a lot of money in this (salary) account but there was no TSA,” Lawal said.
“Before the government left office, they jacked up salaries. We told former Presidents Jonathan and Obasanjo that they cannot earn twice what the others were earning. So, we told them we wanted to review it and we did. So, they now earn what the others earn as well.”
Lawal lamented the general difficulties affecting all sectors in the country, though promised that his office will try its “best” in resolving the past presidents’ situation.
“Look around, you’ll see government vehicles breaking down every now and then. Really, I know the challenges the budget office is facing but the truth is that the funds are not just there. In any government, there are certain agencies that must be served first before others,” he said.
The entitlements of former presidents, heads of state and vice-presidents/Chief of General staff had a budgetary provision of N2.3bn for 2016, same amount that was also budgeted for 2013 and 2014 and 2015 fiscal periods.
