Obasanjo Urges Governors to Stop ‘Daylight Robbery’ of Paying Pensions to Ex-Governors
By Matthew Eloyi
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on state governors who pay pensions to former governors to emulate their Abia State counterpart, Alex Otti, and stop paying.
He described the payment of pensions to former state governors and their deputies as outrageous and “a daylight robbery.”
The former president stated this on Friday when he paid Otti a visit at his country home in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of the state.
He said, “I watched the television and I saw the repealing of Abia pensions and I asked you what exactly is this, and you said to me that the pensions scheme for former governors here was too outrageous.
“It’s like trouble because it allowed them to have a house in Abuja and elsewhere, and it allowed them to cart away with whatever they can, yet the pensions of ordinary people from 2014 are unpaid.
“What sort of leadership? You came and said there would be an end to that rascality. I congratulate you, and I say to you, I hope that your colleagues will follow in your footsteps.”
Commending Otti for his courage in repealing the law, Obasanjo said he hoped that other governors would follow in his footsteps.
He added, “Congratulations for your tenacity, congratulations for your not giving up, congratulations for your weathering the storm and congratulations for what you did yesterday (signing the repealing of pension law for former Governors and Deputy Governors) and congratulations for what I found you doing this morning (exercise).
“This morning, I came in, and I met you exercising, a sound mind and a sound body, and I say to you, now I know your secret. I was glad when you said you do that every other day. It’s just like me playing squash on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I think a leader must keep himself or herself in a healthy condition.
“There is still a lot of work to be done, I said to you, and here you have started, but you should never be tired. Don’t be discouraged; you will be abused, you will be called names, but if we have one-third of our states doing what should be done, this country will be a different country.”
Obasanjo urged Otti to pay attention to the infrastructural development of the state, explaining that with infrastructure and good leadership, the state will attain greater heights.