I Did Not Receive Any Pension – Babatunde Fashola

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has denied receiving pensions from the Lagos state government.

This is coming after the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) accused some former Governors in the Senate and Buhari’s cabinet of getting double payments.

According to reports, Fashola’s Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Hakeem Bello said “The minister spoke on Hard Copy, a programme on Channels TV on Friday. In that programme, he said you don’t ask them (Lagos State Government) to stop what you never accepted in the first place.

“This your question was one of the questions they asked him during that TV programme and what I told you was his response.”

He said “I wish to put it on record that since I left office in 2006 as governor of Anambra State; throughout the four years I spent in the 7th Senate (June 2011-2015) and currently as the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment with effect from November 11, 2015, I have never drawn a dime even in the intervening period that I was not in public office, as salary, emolument and pension from the Anambra State Government’s coffers.

“In fact, I have not received any severance benefit as prescribed in the Anambra State House of Assembly law on pensions and other welfare and benefits for former governors and deputy governors, 2006, and amended 2013.

Aside the two utility vehicles given to me some years ago, I have not accessed any of the privileges and other lawful trappings due to the office.

“It is worth stating for the avoidance of any doubt that the Supreme Court affirmed that I was entitled to these benefits in their landmark judgment in Mike Balonwu and others Vs Anambra State Government, which declared me governor, de facto and de jure between 2003 and 2006.”

Meanwhile, SERAP has welcomed Dr Bukola Saraki’s move to stop receiving pensions from Kwara state.