It was learnt that members of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, who visited the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), were shocked by the news.
The development was blamed on paucity of funds due to non approvals by President Muhammadu Buhari. Payment schedules were said to have been sent to President Buhari for approval to access funds from the Service Wide Vote to pay the outstanding allowances.
The SGF, Mr. David Lawal Babachir, attributed the failure to pay to lack of funds in Service Wide Votes for salaries of former presidents.
Babachir told the committee members: “There is a department responsible for payment of former Presidents. At present, funds are not available in Service Wide Votes to do that. We are aware that there was a protest in Bayelsa State that former President Goodluck Jonathan was not paid, but we have explained that he is not the only one affected.
“Others affected are Inter Religious Council, traditional rulers council and so on. For some reason, we have been writing and writing, but there has been no response. And there is presently no money to pay them.
“The budget for this year’s Democracy Day was N33 million and we had to do it on credit; we are yet to pay. There are lots of retreats which ought to be organised but there is no money to do any. The last time we got any release was in August.”
The Senator Tijjani Kaura (APC, Zamfara North)-led committee members frowned at the non-payment of the former presidents’ entitlements.
They canvassed a joint action by the Office of the SGF and the committee to resolve the “most unfortunate” problem.”
The lawmakers also emphasised the need to draw the attention of the Budget Office and Ministry of Finance to the development, The Nation reports.
