A University don, Dr. Muhammad Bugaje has slammed former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his recent remarks condemning former state governors for collecting pensions after leaving office.
Obasanjo had yesterday commended Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, for repealing the law that allowed former governors and their deputies to collect pensions.
He admonished other state governors to emulate Otti to reduce the cost of governance.
The former President spoke during a courtesy visit to Otti at the Governor’s country home in Nvosi, Isialangwa South Local Government Area.
He congratulated the Governor for ending the pension to former governors and former deputy governors which he described as daylight robbery.
“The pension scheme for former governor here is atrocious, it’s like daylight robbery because it allows them to have a house in Abuja and elsewhere and cart away with whatever they feel like carting away yet the pension for ordinary people is unpaid, what sort of leadership is that?
“And you came and you said there will be an end to that rascality. I congratulate you and I say to you that I hope that some of your colleagues will follow in your footsteps. You have started but you should never be tired.
“You will 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 and you are doing what should be done,” Obasanjo said.
Bugaje while reacting to Obasanjo’s statement in a chat with journalists accused the former president of hypocrisy saying: “It is obvious former president Olusegun Obasanjo is playing to the gallery. He is economical with the truth. He should know that he is a statesman, because how can he condemn former governors who are collecting pensions without condemning himself who is receiving every benefit as a former president.
“This is the problem with Nigerian leaders especially people like former president Olusegun Obasanjo. Nigerians should ask questions when necessary. Is Obasanjo not a hypocrite? Someone who attempted to change our constitution to secure illegal third term. Some governors worked very hard for their states better than he did for Nigeria. It’s wrong for him to condemn former governors for receiving pension while he is receiving same as a former president.”
Bugaje blamed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the current state of Nigeria’s democracy.
He noted that the democracy the country currently practises dates back to direct inputs by Obasanjo when he led the country’s first as military Head of State from 1976 – 1979 and as civilian President from 1999 – 2007.
“Obasanjo ought to know that he brought this thing into Nigeria and many other things we are seeing today. He was the one who made us adoptdemocracy in 1979, yet he came back to condemn it. He is receiving pension as a former president, today he is condemning former governors for receiving pension. He must have seen it as expensive and unsuitable when he governed us for eight years and even wanted an extension for another four years.”