The Kwara
State Government yesterday said Senate President Bukola Saraki is paid
N1.2 million monthly as pension but denied paying its former governor
salary after he left office in May 2011.
A statement by Secretary to the State
Government (SSG), Alhaji Isiaka Gold, said Dr. Saraki’s last salary was
N291,474.00 , paid to him in May 2011.
He added: “From June 2011, former
Governor Saraki started receiving his pension, which was N578,188.00 as
other past governors in the country”.
The statement added that after the
review of pensions of former political office holders by the State
Pension Board, the former governor’s pension increased to N1,239,493.94
monthly from October 2014 to date.
Also yesterday, the Director General of
the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Constituency Office, aka Mandate, Hon.
Abdulwahab Isa,said since the former governor left office in May 2011,
his pension, which was paid into a special account, has been managed by a
group of trustees and used for education endowment for students across
the state.
In a statement in Ilorin, Isa said
Saraki had no access to the account. He said a group of trustees led by
him, was mandated to spend the money on scholarship grants and funds for
Joint Admission and Matriculation Board ((JAMB) forms for students
across the state.
“We have also used the money to pay for
coaching of students who were preparing for JAMB examinations. For
example, the most recent beneficiaries from the funds were two
University of Ilorin Faculty of Law students who were the best in their
set and needed money for their enrolment into the Nigerian Law School.”
Isa added that the funds from the
pension account had been utilised in fulfilment of a pledge publicly
made by Dr. Saraki to the people.
Via TheNation
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