Ex-Presidents Smell Recession As FG Owes Them 10 Months Salaries And Allowances
The federal government has failed to pay 10 months salaries and allowances of all former Presidents in the country.
This was made public on Thursday November 17 when the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, led by Senator Tijjani Kaura (APC, Zamfara North) visited the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Dr David Babachir Lawal.
The affected ex-head of states and presidents subsume:
- Alhaji Shehu Shagari
- Chief Olusegun Obasanjo
- Dr Goodluck Jonathan
- General Ibrahim Babangida
- General Abdulsalami Abubakar
- General Yakubu Gowon
- Chief Ernest Shonekan.
A source disclosed the non-payment of former leaders was due to failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to give a go-ahead, while also stating the payment schedule had on many occassions been dispatched for the President’s approval to assess funds in the service wide vote meant for the purpose, adding that all attempts in that direction were to no avail.
The SGF affirmed the non-payment of the former leaders is as a result of unavailability of funds in service wide votes for salaries of ex-Presidents.
In SGF's words: “There is a department responsible for payment of former President. At present, funds are not available in service wide votes to do that. ‘’We are aware there was a protest in Bayelsa State that the former President was not paid, but we’ve explained that he’s not the only one affected. “Others affected are 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 currently no money to pay them. “The budget for this year’s Democracy Day was N33 million, and we had to do it on credit, we are yet to pay. There are lots of retreat which ought to be organised but there’s no money to do any. The last time we got any release was in August.”
