Governors’ Life Pension: Demands of cutting down expenditures amidst sectoral constraints
Cutting down the cost of governance recently came near sight as one submission to respond to the depth of strains clogging up from challenges of financial constraints in the Federation. Borrowings, recently, have been noted to be posing burdens of debt brewing constraints against sustainable development. Outcry over borrowing to finance recurrents recently became tingling, as the channelling of over 95percent of revenue in recent times to debt servicing became worrisome. The constraints have seen capital projects suffering deeply, informing a situation where without borrowing, executing substantial projects would have to be a facade.
The issue of cutting the cost of governance is one that has brought into play discourses on clusters of subjects of interest at stake. The expansive notion of the subjects that bear relevance to the concept do have on record, among the plethora of stakes of concern, the subject of life pension paid to past public officers who have held juicy public offices. One strong force in the top burner is the life pension paid to former governors in the Country.
As survival becomes more controversial, particularly, for States as subnational governments suffering the brunt of underdevelopment as limitations of revenue pose strains on the economy, calls on the various State Governments to redirect the provisions earmarked as life pension extended to past governors, who have tasted the luxuries and pleasantries of the juicy packages attached to the office they once occupied, have been a course of campaign. In this course, the burden the expenditure bears on revenue has been a source of concern. Particularly, the force of recurrent expenditure, overshadowing the available provisions for capital projects, has been a case in point, necessitating that the spending of such allocations as security votes would now demand prudence.
Responses of the State Governors to yield the demands in reality to the pressing situations have been shrouded with controversies. It is apparent the disposition is much a reflection of indifference at some point, and at some other levels, lack of political will to drive the processes culminating to the termination of the order making provisions of same. While some State Governments are known to have commenced positive processes to the end of the subject of life pension to Governors, the clear position of several are largely undetermined. It is lamentable such disposition is taking course when conditions of living occasioned by the harsh strains in the economy, deficits of infrastructures, education, among other socio-economic constraints, frown at the at the Country, and more closely at the subnational level of the states.
On Sunday, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had in a letter to the 36 state governors in the Federation urged them to “immediately redirect public funds budgeted to pay ex-governors undeserved pensions and other retirement benefits, and for ‘security votes,’ channeling some of the savings to pay the counterpart funds that would allow poor children to enjoy access to quality basic education in your state.” In a letter signed by its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, dated 19th, February 2022, SERAP lamented that “Several of the 36 states have reportedly failed to pay the counterpart funds to access over N51bn matching grants earmarked by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for basic education in the country, as at July 2019.”
The rights organisation stated thus: “The report by UBEC that several states have failed to access N51.6bn of matching grants suggests that these states are doing very little for poor children. It also explains why the number of out-of-school children in the country has risen from 10.5 million to 13.2million. A violation of the right to education will occur when there is insufficient expenditure or misallocation of public resources, which results in the non-enjoyment of the right to quality education by poor children within the states. States dereliction in paying counterpart funds is antithetical to the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, and the country’s international human rights obligations.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your state to comply with our request in the public interest. The enjoyment of the right to education for millions of poor children remains a distant goal. In several states, this goal is becoming increasingly remote. The persistent failure to pay counterpart funds has hugely contributed to denying poor Nigerian children access to quality basic education, opportunities and development. State governors are clearly in a position to invest more toward the progressive realization of the right to quality education for poor children within their states. Rather than spending public funds to pay ex-governors undeserved pensions and other retirement benefits and apparently using security votes for patronage and political purposes, governors should prioritise investment in education by immediately paying up any outstanding counterpart funds to UBEC.
“Redirecting public funds budgeted for life pensions and security votes, and cutting the cost of governance to pay the counterpart funds would be entirely consistent with your constitutional oath of office, and the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution, as it would promote efficient, honest, and legal spending of public money. Continuing to spend scarce public funds on these expenses would deny poor Nigerian children access to quality, compulsory and free basic education in your state, and burden the next generation. Redirecting the funds as recommended would also ensure access to quality education for poor children, who have no opportunity to attend private schools. It would contribute to addressing poverty, inequality, marginalization, and insecurity across several states.
“SERAP is separately seeking information from UBEC about the details of counterpart funds that have been between 2019 and 2022. In the meantime, SERAP urges you to clarify if your state has paid any counterpart fund between July 2019 and 2022. SERAP urges you to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of any accessed matching grants from UBEC. States should prioritise paying their counterpart funds over and above spending on life pensions and other misallocations of scarce resources. Immediately paying your counterpart funds for basic education in your state would be a major step forward for children’s rights, and show your commitment to ensure the rights and well-being of all children, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds.
“According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 1 in 3 children do not complete primary school in several states. 27.2 percent of children between 6 and 11 years do not attend school. Only 35.6% of children aged 3–5 months attend pre-school. As revealed by a 2018 report by Transparency International (TI), most of the funds appropriated as security votes are spent on political activities, mismanaged or simply stolen. It is estimated that security votes add up to over N241.2 billion every year. On top of appropriated security votes, state governments also receive millions of dollars yearly as international security assistance.
“According to our information, basic education in several states has continued to experience a steady decline. The quality of education offered is low and standards have continued to drop. The learning environment does not promote effective learning. School facilities are in a state of extreme disrepair, requiring major rehabilitation. Basic teaching and learning resources are generally not available, leaving many teachers profoundly demoralized. This situation is patently contrary to Section 18 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 [as amended]; and the Sections 2(1) and 11(2) of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act. Education is both a human right in itself and an indispensable means of realizing other human rights. As an empowerment right, education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities. States are required to progressively implement socio-economic rights including the right to quality education commensurate with the level of resources available. Gross misallocation of resources to the detriment of the enjoyment of the right to quality education can constitute a human rights violation.”
While education in the Country can be said to be suffering from huge deficits of capital expenditure needed for appreciable growth, it is much lamentable that it is not the only sector suffering from such deficiencies, as many sectors, from the social space to the pillars of the economy, have been known to be suffering depth of strains from the deficits to fund capital projects to propel sectoral growth. With the deficiencies brewing from the sectoral inefficiencies, the economy at large have been left at a wobbling state.
It has now become more of necessity for the Governments at all levels to redirect the orientation of their public finance system with reforming strategies to recondition the operating parameters to permit rational reformation bearing relevance to the demands of the present situations. Bearing in mind the strains and plights of the masses have become of necessity. It is only rational to mention that keeping bogus expenditure for such provisions as life pension for ex-governors, many of who after their flagrant premiums of staying in office still move to occupy positions with juicy packages, such as Senatorial seats and Ministerial portfolios among others, reflects nothing but a show of insensitivity to the pressing conditions and the unsavoury plight of the masses. The prevailing situations demand the custodians of the system to be moderately disposed to governance with sense of human feelings, national interests, and the common good, against appearances of cruelty and self-mindedness.
