The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said he had stopped collecting pension in Kwara State as a former governor of the state.<\/p>\n
Saraki, who said this during the News Agency of Nigeria Forum in Abuja on Tuesday, declared that he had written a letter to the state government to stop the payment of the pension.<\/p>\n
According to Saraki, the move was sequel to complaints from some quarters that former governors, who are currently senators or ministers, were receiving pension and salary in their new jobs, all from the government.<\/p>\n
A civil society organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, had accused the former governors of receiving double pay from government, and said it was illegal.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I\u2019m not collecting pension; the moment I saw that allegation, I wrote to my state to stop my pension.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I speak for myself on that part; I\u2019m not doing that, I am not receiving pension from my state,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
On other senators still collecting pensions from their state, Saraki said, \u201cI think I will leave everybody to their individual decision. Morally, if you have got another job, you should give it up until when you are truly a pensioner.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of these oversights are not addressing the issues. What the states should do is to go and amend their laws to say that if you have another appointment then you are not entitled to that benefit. With this, we will just simplify the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the role of Bank of Infrastructure in the country, Saraki said that the Senate had not had any serious interface with the bank, but that it was involved in some projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not engaging with them particularly. I think that they were part of those involved in the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. But, I don\u2019t think government should really put funds into that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have this strong view and I feel very strongly about it, that nowhere in the world has government funded infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cGovernment cannot, and even if government can fund infrastructure projects, the social sector will suffer \u2013 health will suffer and education will suffer.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
He said there were a lot of complaints that budgetary allocation to health and education was too low, attributing it to the fact that much money was being invested in infrastructural development.<\/p>\n
Saraki explained that due to the challenges, the National Assembly had passed bills that would encourage private sector participation in infrastructural development.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat should happen is that we should try and get private sector to take over some of these infrastructure so that the money can go into education and health.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy doing that, banks like Bank of Infrastructure will come in.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve stopped collecting pension in Kwara \u2013 Saraki<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n