Minister Fayemi threatens to sue SERAP over pension allegations

Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has threatened to sue the Social-Economic Rights Accountability Project (SERAP) over allegations that he has been receiving pension from his home state, Ekiti.

Fayemi is a former governor of Ekiti State.

SERAP had in a recent statement called on the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to within seven days sue former governors, who are presently senators and ministers for receiving double salaries.

SERAP named Fayemi among former governors who are currently ministers and senators in the current administration still collecting pensions from their home states.

But Fayemi on Tuesday threatened that he will sue the group if fails to show evidence that he has been receiving such pension or publicly apologize to him within seven days.

The minister in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Yinka Oyebode, claimed he had not received pension or any other remuneration from the Ekiti government since leaving office as governor of the state in 2014

Read also: APC will soon die, we’ll chase them out in 2019, PDP boasts

According to him, he had not received anything “either as pension (as passed by the State House of Assembly) or as severance package (approved by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission) from the state government since leaving office on October 15, 2014.”

He therefore challenged SERAP to make public details or proof of pension and any other remuneration he was alleged to have taken.

Fayemi noted that as much as he subscribes to public scrutiny of public officials, such endeavour needs to be carried out with due diligence to avoid making wild allegations that are capable of misleading the public.

His statement read in part, “Contrary to SERAP’s statement, the fact is that Dr Fayemi does not enjoy any pension from Ekiti State government neither has he received any severance package as approved by RMFAC.

“All SERAP needed to have done in this case was to place a call to the Minister or carry out a thorough investigation at the Ekiti State Ministry of Finance, before going public on such a sensitive matter.

“The leadership of SERAP is urged to do the needful- substantiate the allegation with proof or retract the highly embarrassing statement and offer a public apology to the Minister within seven days or be prepared to defend it in the law court.”, the statement added.

 

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Click here to download the Ripples Nigeria App for latest updates

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now