Plan to settle Oshiomhole with N200m mansion a rip-off- SERAP

The Obaseki administration in Edo State may have got off on a scandalous note with serious opposition mounting against plans to settle his god-father, Oshiomhole, with a N200 million mansion.

On Wednesday, the Edo House of Assembly passed a bill to significantly effect an upward review in the retirement benefits of Oshiomhole, other past governors and their deputies.
Amongst others, if implemented, Oshiomhole will have a N200 million mansion erected in his favour anywhere in the country, with his deputy entitled to a property worth N100 million in tow.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on Thursday, however, joined the groundswell of opposition to condemn the Edo House initiative. It called on governor Godwin Obaseki to “immediately withdraw the bill, and use the funds to clear the backlog of pension arrears spanning between seven and 45 months.”
“Coming at a time the Edo State government can’t even pay its pensioners and salaries of workers, the amendment by the Edo State House of Assembly is immoral, unfair, unconstitutional, unreasonable, and a rip-off on a massive scale, Executive Director, SERAP,” Adetokunbo Mumuni said.
He added, “This so-called proposed legislation means that millions of Edo pensioners and workers will have to fund the massive and unjust pensions for former governor Oshiomhole and his deputy and others that will come after them.

Read also: Edo House stirs controversy, awards huge pension for Oshiomhole, Ogbemudia, others 

“Governor Obasaki must reject this grotesque bill if he’s to fulfil his election promises and lift millions of Edo State pensioners out of extreme poverty.”

The group threatened to institute legal actions against saying, “SERAP is finalising a comprehensive legal strategy to challenge these unjust laws and to name and shame those who continue to benefit from such laws.
“Nigerians should not be made to subsidise these bloated pensions and clearly undeserved perks. Governor Obaseki should not see disadvantaged Nigerians and poor pensioners according to Orwell’s Animal Farm dictum: ‘All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others’.
“Approving the amendment by the Edo State House of Assembly will amount to a fundamental breach of the governor’s constitutional oath declaration to serve the interest of justice, common good, transparency and accountability.”
“SERAP is appalled by this apparently unfair and discriminatory law, it added.
Former governor Adams Oshiomhole was at the forefront of the campaign against god-fatherism, promising to deal with it at all levels. It remains unclear how his god-son, Obaseki, will wade through a policy that threatens to leave a definitive scar on his administration.

 

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