“Saraki Earns N1.2million Pension Monthly” – Kwara Government

The Kwara State Government on Wednesday, April said the one time governor of the state and current Senate President Bukola Saraki is paid N1.2 million monthly as pension.

The state government however 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.

“From June 2011, former Governor Saraki started receiving his pension, which was N578,188.00 as other past governors in the country,” he said

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,  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.”