Date Published: 02/21/11

CACOL says no to N1.2billion Allowance to past Head of State

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has condemned in strong terms the legislative bill before the National Assembly seeking for special allowances and welfare packages for past Nigeria leaders including Military Heads of State and up to their four spouses.

Speaking through its Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran the Coalition described the financial award to members of the super rich class of the Nigerian society as a threat to the nation’s economy and our eternally nascent democracy.

“Ordinarily”, Mr. Adeniran posited, “there is nothing strange that a nation takes care of its past leaders if they ascended and relinquished power through the people’s mandates. But the case of Nigeria is different. These set of leaders being compensated had bastardized our economy right from out set; they sunk us into heavy unverifiable debts and used their positions to loot our joint wealth for their selfish use. They deliberately created civil and economic unrest for many decades in order to retain their ‘lordship’ positions. Many of them armed-robbed and stole people’s mandates to get to power and never want democracy to survive. They denied the people of their rights and championed inhuman policies that: humiliated, maimed and killed innocent people with reckless abandon. They are presently enjoying their reservoir of loots. All of them are receiving pension from Federal Government and other entitlements and still asking for more access for further looting. If we can’t question them on their antecedents, we shouldn’t compensate them for the mess they put the nation into. We should not encourage younger soldiers to strike again in anticipation of looting the country dry and get compensated thereafter.

“The nation is expected to stabilize its economy at this period when there is oil price boom at the International Market. Nigerians are not satisfied with spendthrift government; who mismanage our economy; arrogate bogus salaries and allowances to themselves and their aide at all tiers and arms; using foreign loan to cater for their personal needs while insecurity, poverty, unemployment and people’s welfare that should be the major focus of our leaders are ravaging the people that are expected to be the object of their governance.

“Countries like South Africa and Ghana are thriving tremendously in terms of socio-economic development while Nigeria continues to slide down the abyss of economic profligacy and social oblivion. Nigeria should learn from the revolution in the Arab world which is imminent here too if our leaders continue with their gross dereliction in managing our economy. The people’s will, must prevail at all times”.

He commended Senator Smart Adeyemi “for giving the patronizing wicked bill an ugly kick”. Assuring that, “we are ready to see that such bills don’t see the light of the day, because most of our past leaders owe us apologies rather than we compensating nor do we owe them the obligation of care and honorarium for dishonourable endeavour while their various misrule lasted”. He concluded.

Lateef Afeez (Mr.)

Research and Documentation Officer

Thursday, 17 th February 2011.