A Lagos-based human rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to publicly reject life pensions and brand-new vehicles for lawmakers bill passed by the Kano State House of Assembly.
SERAP called on the Ganduje to prevail on the members of the House to immediately drop the bill, and to honour their fiduciary duties imposed by the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Nigeria’s international anti-corruption obligations.
The group equally asked the Governor to prevail on the lawmakers to subordinate their own interests to the public good, live on fair and equal terms with their fellow-citizens, and not to use their legislative powers to convert public resources to their own benefit.
“Should you assent to the bill as passed, SERAP will take legal action nationally and internationally to hold your government to account and ensure that you uphold the solemn trust committed to you by the people of Kano.”
This was contained in a letter dated May 10, 2019, and signed by the group’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
“This bill represents law-making in the interest and personal satisfaction of the lawmakers, which flagrantly offends the principles of legal justice and the rule of law.
“The lawmakers ought to subordinate their own interests to the welfare of the people of Kano.
“By passing the life pensions and medical trips abroad bill, the lawmakers have invariably ‘bought at their own sales’, and violated their sacred trust.
“This bare desire by the lawmakers of the Kano State House of Assembly to pass a bill to award to themselves life pensions, foreign medical trips and brand-new vehicles every four years is oppressive and violates the obligation of impartiality to the people of Kano they are elected to serve and the ideals of fiduciary government.
“The bill, proposed by Baffa Baba Dangundi, is a textbook case of diversion of public resources to private purposes,” Oluwadare said.
“Rather than passing bills to divert public resources for personal benefits, the lawmakers should pass legislation that will urgently address the chronic problem of over 3 million out-of-school children in Kano (the highest in Nigeria) and ensure immediate payment of outstanding pensions and workers’ salaries.
“The lawmakers should pursue the happiness and prosperity of the Kano people with fidelity.
“If assented to, the bill would lead to a misuse of trust property and threaten to affect the welfare of the people of Kano by diverting public funds from development and provision of access to quality education, clean water and healthcare to the personal benefits of members of the House of Assembly.
“Assenting to the bill would also have serious consequences for the people of Kano and would breach your fiduciary duties including your duty to take reasonable care in the management of public funds and the duty to account.”