Connect with us

News

Lagos State Assembly Oppose The Discontinuation Of Pensions For Ex-Govs

The Lagos State House of Assembly has opposed a move to repeal the law that provides for payment of pensions to the state’s former political officers, including ex-governors and their deputies as efforts are made to reduce the cost of governance in the state.

While presenting the Lagos State 2021 budget proposal before the House of Assembly in November 2020, the state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had stated that part of the ways his administration seeks to generate more revenue to fund the budget was to cut the cost of governance.

He promised to send a bill to the house that will seek discontinuation of pensions and other benefits for ex-governors and other political office holders in the state.

The Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension Law) was signed by former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinibu in 2007 and it made huge provisions for former politicians. The array of benefits included captured by the law included 100 percent of the governor’s basic salary, a house in Lagos state and the FCT, six brand new automobiles (to be replaced every three years), several bogus allowances, a security entourage (paid by the state), among other things.

The bill titled “A bill for a law to repeal the law to provide for the payment of pensions and other fringe benefits to public office holders in Lagos State and for other connected matters” was debated on the floor of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday, May 24, 2021.

Several lawmakers argued against the repeal with most of them calling for an amendment instead of a total scrap. Tobun Abiodun, representing Epe Constituency 1 argued that scrapping the law may encourage corruption while in office.

Lawmakers Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti-Osa 2) and Oluyinka Ogundimu (Agege 2) said even though it is true that the state is battling to survive economically, the security of former political officers should be considered as repealing the law would mean withdrawing their security detail. They argued for an amendment of the law instead.

Others who supported an amendment include Abdulsobur Olawale (Mushin 2), Rotimi Abiru (Shomolu 2), Jude Idimogu (Oshodi-Isolo 2), and Saad Olumo (Ajeromi-Ifelodun 1). The bill was committed to the House Committee on Establishment to come up with a report based on their deliberations in two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Ministry has sacked a staff who disclosed his pay packet to the public. A Masters Degree holder from the Lagos State University, Mr. Toyemej Joseph Juwonlo who is a father of three was employed as a Drainage Supervisor (drainage cleaner) in Ikotun axis of the state and was to be paid N35,000 every month.

Upon his public disclosure of his salary, it was reported by P.M.EXPRESS that the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, got wind of it and queried the Ministry officials in that regard. But instead of adjusting his paycheck, he was asked to stop working without paying him for the days he had already worked.

More on this to follow…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Gunmen abduct Kwara APC chairman’s wife, daughter in midnight raid

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted the wife and daughter of Alhaji Muhammad Swasun, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The victims, identified as Hajiya Fatima and her daughter Amina, were seized on Sunday, September 7, at night when a five-man armed gang stormed the party chairman’s residence in Sakpefu.

Eyewitness accounts revealed that the attackers scaled the compound fence and opened fire indiscriminately to terrify residents before breaking into one of the rooms.

“They entered into one of the rooms where they found his wife and daughter and took them away, shooting into the air,” a party executive told reporters, adding that the chairman narrowly escaped being kidnapped himself.

Another APC member confirmed that the gunmen operated for several minutes before whisking the women to an undisclosed location.

“The bandits abducted his wife, Hajiya Fatima, and his daughter, Amina, and took them to an unknown destination,” the source explained, according to Vanguard.

The latest abduction has heightened anxiety in Patigi, a region already grappling with recurring cases of kidnapping.

Residents have repeatedly urged the government and security operatives in recent months to intensify efforts to curb the menace.

Continue Reading

News

Ace Comedian Ali Baba evicted from Victoria Island property over legal dispute

Veteran Nigerian comedian Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, popularly known as Ali Baba, has been evicted from his luxurious, multi-million-naira property located in Victoria Island due to a court dispute.

The property, which was purchased for ₦220 million by Ali Baba, is the subject of an ownership dispute at the Federal High Court.

Amid the legal dispute, Ali Baba and his company, XQZMOI TV, were evicted from the property located at 324A Akin Ogunlewe Street.

The eviction was carried out by bailiffs of the Federal High Court following a writ of possession signed on August 15, 2025.

The property in question was initially sold to Ali Baba by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in 2021 for ₦220 million.

At the time, AMCON claimed it was recovering debts allegedly owed by Harold Expansion Industries Nigeria Limited.

But Harold Expansion disputed the debt and counterclaimed that they had already made repayments. Their lawyer, Benjamin Olayiwola Sadibo, insisted that the property was sold wrongfully.

On July 31, 2025, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court delivered a verdict that changed everything as he dismissed AMCON’s case, ruling that the corporation had failed to provide convincing evidence of the alleged debt.

The Justice stressed that AMCON did not even present a statement of account to back its claims a fatal omission for a creditor. Worse still, AMCON did not file a defence against Harold Expansion’s counterclaim, leaving the court with no choice but to side with the company.

In addition to ordering the property to be returned to the family of its original owner, the judge also imposed ₦500 million in damages on AMCON.

Ali Baba’s culpability in the case came as a result of the timing of the purchase. Records show that he purchased the property while the case was still in court, despite an existing preservation order.

He was said to have been a tenant of the property’s original owner before AMCON evicted the family and sold it.

Continue Reading

News

Police summon El-Rufai, other Kaduna ADC chieftains over alleged criminal conspiracy

Anti-Open Grazing

The Kaduna Command of the Nigerian Police has summoned former Governor of the state, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, and other top chieftains of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In the summons letter dated September 4, 2025, the ADC members were invited for questioning over alleged incitement of public disturbance, criminal conspiracy, mischief, and causing grievous hurt.

Signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Uzainu Abdullahi, the letter said the invited individuals are required to come and clarify the allegations against them.

“This Department is currently investigating the above-mentioned case involving the following members of your party. You are requested to come along with them to SCID to clarify allegations reported against them by the complainants on 8th September, 2025.

“Mal. Nasir El-Rufa’i, Bashir Sa’idu, Jafaru Sani, Ubaidullah Mohammed, aka 30, Nasiru Maikano, Aminu Abita, and Ahmed Rufa’i Hussaini, aka Mikiya,” the letter reads.

Sani, one of the invited members and ADC North-West Vice Chairman, told Daily Trust that he learned of the invitation through social media.

“Yes, most of us only saw the statement on social media,” he said, declining further comments.

The development followed the heated exchanges between the Kaduna State government and El-Rufai over the violence that rocked an ADC meeting in the state last week.

The government accused the former Governor of plotting to cause destabilisation in the state through provocative actions and inflammatory statements.

In a statement signed by Dr. Suleiman Shuaibu, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, the government said it wouldn’t sit idle and watch El-Rufai plunge the state back into violence, division, and insecurity.

“This Government will not fold its arms and allow a discredited former leader, who left the state in ruins, to ignite chaos and plunge the state into another era of ethno-religious tension, insecurity, and economic stagnation,” the statement read.

Continue Reading

Trending