* Asks Ogun govt to suspend his pension
A former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Gbenga Daniel, has explained the reason behind his decision to ask the government to stop his pensions as a former administrator of the State.
Daniel, now the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District in the National Assembly (NASS) said his decision is because he does not want to be receiving double remuneration having returned to public service after 12 years.
“I remember there was indeed a court judgment which SERAP got basically saying that people should not be entitled to double payment, especially if you now have another kind of public office. But even before then, naturally, a human being should not be entitled to double remuneration,” Daniel said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday.
“So, for me like I said earlier on, for about 12 years I was not in public service, now that I am back in public service let me just make sure that I tidy things up and somebody just pointed out to me and say why don’t I just remind the governor that I am not here and he should please stop the monthly pension that he was paying and hopefully when I am out of the Senate we check what the law says.”
He added that if after his stay at the Senate and it happens that Senators have emoluments, he may continue with that or revert to the one the Ogun State government was paying him as a former governor.
His decision to suspend his pension has generated a lot of reactions from the public, but the former governor said the reactions clearly indicate that things that appear to be normal are becoming unusual in the country.
Daniel also said that the reactions show that people are not happy with public figures any longer as they are skeptical that the officials will not do the right thing.
The Senator added that it is high time public officers started to lay good examples of a better society where the value system is the order of the day.
But the senator advised his former governor colleagues to reject double remuneration. That, according to him, include their pensions as former governor, and salaries as Senators or in whatever federal elective or appointive position because they would be compelled to make the payment in the future.
He said: “I know how this country works. One day, you may be forced to return all the money you have collected and at that time, you may not have it to repay.”