Some residents of the South-South have criticized the payment of outrageous pensions to governors and their deputies after serving the nation for a maximum of eight years.

The people expressed their dissatisfaction with the practice in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), saying it was against the interest of the people.

Comrade Henry Ekini, the National Legal Adviser to the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), condemned the payment of huge pensions to governors and their deputies.

Ekini who described it as being against the interest and a disservice to the people, called on State Assemblies to repeal such laws.

He said it was unfortunate that some governors, a few weeks before their exit from office, influenced the astronomical increases in pensions and other benefits for themselves and their deputies.

“It is unfortunate that one aspect of governance that we haven’t gotten right is the undermining of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) by politically exposed persons.

“The governors, anticipating their exit from office, work with state lawmakers to amend pension such laws where they exist or enact one, appropriating unto themselves huge amounts of money as pensions and allowances,” he said.

The human rights activist said it was wrong for governors and other politicians to alter the provisions of existing pension laws and appropriate unto themselves excessive sums of money as exit packages.

“This is unfortunate and quite condemnable.

“The action of some of these outgoing governors is not justifiable by law, and as such, actions should be taken to stop it,” he added.

On last-minute rush by some governors to award contracts, offer employment, and secure loans, among others, Ekini said that they had the constitutional right to do so.

He said the constitution gave a term of four years to the president and governors who have the right to carry out their official functions in whatever direction and time they deemed fit.

“Barring any other decision of the constitution that would have limited the term of that governor in the case of death, resignation, and impeachment, etc., nothing can be done about it.

“This means that the governor or president can perform his or her constitutional duty until that particular day makes it four years from the day he or she took the oath of office.

“They can award contracts, make large-scale employment and secure loans, etc. They can perform these duties until the moment proceeding the handover to their successors,” he said.

The legal practitioner said such actions taken by some outgoing governors were valid in the eyes of the law.

“However, considering the exigency of government and knowing that some of these actions are done for purely political purposes, they usually constitute a talking point,” he added.

On his part, the Country Director of, the International Training, Research, and Advocacy Project, Dr. McFarlane Ejah, said in Calabar that incoming governors were not bound to uphold the “unplanned dying-minute” recruitments and promotions approved by their predecessors.

Ejah expressed this opinion at the heels of Gov. Ben Ayade’s offer of automatic employment to 155 pion