Trending News
POLITICS: JUBILATION IN IJERO EKITI AS APC CHAIRMANSHIP CANDIDATE, JAF RECEIVES THE OFFICIAL FLAG OF THE PARTY AHEAD OF SATURDAY ELECTION ECHOES OF ‘MOTHER MERCY’ – Most Dynamic Black Philanthropist Who Got President Biden’s ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ POLITICS: NIGERIA IS NOW OR NEVER, PROF IMUMOLEN TELLS NIGERIANS AT CAMA 2023, AS HE CLAMOURS SUPPORT FOR TINUBU’S GOVT FOR NIGERIA’S GOOD EXCITEMENT AS LEADING REAL ESTATE FIRM OFFERS CLASS AND DISTINCTION THROUGH ‘ACADA ARCADE’ IN LAGOS BREAKING: LAGOS SCHOOL GETS STRATEGIC SUPPORT FROM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, RECEIVES MARKER BOARDS, LABS TOOLS, MORE EKITI: FOUNDER OF EKITI PROPER CONGRATULATES EKITI GOV, OTHERS AS TINUBU APPROVES FCM IJERO EKITI EDUCATION- JAF HAILS TINUBU, CONGRATULATES GOV, MONARCH ON FG’S APPROVAL OF FCM IJERO-EKITI EXIT OF AN ICON: HON.JIMOH AJAO GOES HOME AS COMRADE AKINSANYA MOURNS, DESCRIBES HIM AS QUINTESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE: UMAHI READS RIOT ACT TO CONTRACTORS, INSISTS ON CEMENT OVER ASPHALT PHOTO NEWS: AMB. AMINA TEMITOPE AJAYI LEADS DIASPORA ACTION FOR NIGERIA’S DEVELOPMENT LEADERS BENEFIT FROM THE POVERTY OF CITIZENS HERE GERMAN SPEAKS OF NIGERIA WORLD TEACHER’S DAY: DEARTH OF PASSIONATE TEACHER, A DEADLY SIGNPOST- Proprietress NIGERIA @ 63: NIGERIANS ARE IN FAMINE DECLARES CLERIC AS HE CELEBRATES HIS MINISTRY’S 12TH ANNIVERSARY INDEPENDENCE: THIS IS A MOMENT OF SOBER REFLECTION SAYS PROF IMUMOLEN, EVEN AS HE DECLARES THAT THE LABOUR OF OUR HEROES MUST NOT BE IN VAIN EDUCATION: JPTS ALUMNUS WINS PTDF SCHOLARSHIP TO DO PHD IN GERMANY B-R-E-A-K-I-N-G: NATION BUILDING: AMAC AWARDS IMUMOLEN A STREET IN THE FCT
Tuesday, November 28, 2023

VICTORY FOR DEMOCRACY: THE COURT OF APPEAL HAS OVERRULED THE PAYMENT OF PENSION, GRATUITY OR SEVERANCE ALLOWANCE TO POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS

0
231

By Timeswatch 

The Court of Appeal has faulted the payment of either severance allowance, pension or gratuity to political office holders and political appointees, insisting that the practice was morally wrong.

A three-man panel of the court, held that it as unjustifiable in the face of the nation’s socio-economic reality for some few politicians, who hold office for not more than eight-year, to allocate huge public funds to themselves in the name of pension and severance package while civil servants, who committed most of their active years to the service of the nation are denied their retirement benefits.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja said this in a judgment on an appeal marked: CA/A/810/2017 filed by the Governor of Kogi State and three others.

The Court of Appeal, in its lead judgment by Justice Emmanuel Agim, said it was wicked and morally wrong for political office holders and political appointees, who helped themselves to public funds while in office, to claim entitlement to pension and severance allowances.

Justice Agim said: “I must state here that the claimants’ claim for payment of severance allowance, because the tenure of their appointment has come to an end, is as unfounded as is morally wrong”

“As I have held that their letters of appointment did not stipulate their entitlement to such payment. They did not produce any law or any document or instrument that entitles them to such payment.

“The fact that elected pubic officeholders and political appointees are paid huge amounts of money as monthly salaries and other forms of allowances, while in office, is common knowledge in Nigeria and is not reasonable to open question”

“It is also common knowledge that many of them after an office tenure of between three to eight years become stupendously wealthy, exhibiting mind-blowing opulence and splendor”

“Yet these office holders insist on being paid severance allowance for holding such offices”

“Meanwhile, career civil servants, who have served this country or their states or Local Governments, all their life, can hardly collect their pensions and gratuity when retired”

“They are now being subjected to contributory pension schemes in which they contribute part of their monthly meagre salaries that are always paid in arrears while in service, to be able to earn pension and gratuity upon retirement”

“The political appointees and elected public office holders, who do not work as long and as hard as the career civil servants quickly get paid huge severance allowances upon leaving office in addition to the huge wealth they acquired while holding such offices and without having been subjected to any contributory pension schemes”

“It is not morally right to pay an elected public officer or political appointee pension and gratuity or severance allowance for holding such an office for three to eight years as the case may be”

“It cannot be justified in the context of our present social realities it amounts to gross social injustice.”

The Court of Appeal, in its lead judgment by Justice Emmanuel Agim, said it was wicked and morally wrong for political office holders and political appointees, who helped themselves to public funds while in office, to claim entitlement to pension and severance allowances.

Justice Agim said: “I must state here that the claimants’ claim for payment of severance allowance, because the tenure of their appointment has come to an end, is as unfounded as is morally wrong”

“As I have held that their letters of appointment did not stipulate their entitlement to such payment. They did not produce any law or any document or instrument that entitles them to such payment.

“The fact that elected pubic officeholders and political appointees are paid huge amounts of money as monthly salaries and other forms of allowances, while in office, is common knowledge in Nigeria and is not reasonable to open question”

“It is also common knowledge that many of them after an office tenure of between three to eight years become stupendously wealthy, exhibiting mind-blowing opulence and splendor”

“Yet these office holders insist on being paid severance allowance for holding such offices”

“Meanwhile, career civil servants, who have served this country or their states or Local Governments, all their life, can hardly collect their pensions and gratuity when retired”

“They are now being subjected to contributory pension schemes in which they contribute part of their monthly meagre salaries that are always paid in arrears while in service, to be able to earn pension and gratuity upon retirement”

“The political appointees and elected public office holders, who do not work as long and as hard as the career civil servants quickly get paid huge severance allowances upon leaving office in addition to the huge wealth they acquired while holding such offices and without having been subjected to any contributory pension schemes”

“It is not morally right to pay an elected public officer or political appointee pension and gratuity or severance allowance for holding such an office for three to eight years as the case may be”

“It cannot be justified in the context of our present social realities it amounts to gross social injustice”.

Leave a reply