The
Federal Government plans to spend N3.19bn on the pensions and
allowances of former Presidents, Heads of State, their deputies, former
leaders of the National Assembly and their families in the year 2012.
The proposed N3.19bn represents an increase of about N2bn from what was provided for the former rulers in the 2011 Budget.
The government also earmarked a total of N141.7bn for
the pensions and gratuities, of retired civil servants, that are not
captured in the contributory pension scheme.
The amount contained in the 2012 budget currently
before the National Assembly is under Service Wide Votes. Our
correspondents report that beneficiaries under this heading will receive
a total of N414.4bn for the fiscal year.
The Remuneration for former Presidents, Heads of
State Act passed by the National Assembly in November 2010 provides for
the remunerations of all former Presidents, Heads of State and their
deputies, including the families of former leaders who are late.
Currently, those who benefit from the Act are former
Heads of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon; Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; Gen.
Abdulsalami Abubakar; Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; former head of the Interim
National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; former President Shehu
Shagari; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; their living deputies; and
former heads of the National Assembly.
Other beneficiaries are the widow of a late former
President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe; the widows of a former Prime Minister,
the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa; and the widows and families of
former Heads of State, General Murtala Muhammed; and Gen. Sani Abacha.
When the N1.2bn bill was presented to the Senate in
2011, the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental
Affairs queried the amount, saying that it was too high a price to pay
for the comfort of former leaders who presided over the “economic
retardation” of the country.
But explanations from the Office of the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation showed that there were seven living
former Heads of State, five Vice Presidents, six families of deceased
leaders and two families of deceased Vice Presidents.
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