Why most States can't pay salaries of workers and the many ills of our economy.* THIS IS AN ASSESSMENT ON AN INSTITUTION WITH ALL POLITICAL PARTIES. *NOT A DISCUSSION ON ANY POLITICAL PARTY.* 21 senators currently receive pensions from government as ex- governors and deputy governors. The current senators who once served as governors are *Bukola Saraki* of Kwara, *Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso* of Kano, *Kabiru Gaya* of Kano, *Godswill Akpabio* of Akwa Ibom, *Theodore Orji* of Abia, *Abdullahi Adamu* of Nasarawa, *Sam Egwu* of Ebonyi, *Shaaba Lafiagi* of Kwara, *Joshua Dariye* of Plateau *Jonah Jang* of Plateau, *Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko* of Sokoto, *Ahmed Sani Yarima* of Zamfara, *Danjuma Goje* of Gombe, *Bukar Abba Ibrahim* of Yobe, *Adamu Aliero* of Kebbi, *George Akume* of Benue and *Isiaka Adeleke* of Osun. *The former deputy governors in the Senate* are *Ms Biodun Olujimi* of Ekiti and *Enyinaya Harcourt Abaribe* of Abia. *Danladi Abubakar Sani* served as the acting governor of Taraba state. Many *former governors* are also in Buhari's Cabinet as Ministers. This includes: *Ngige, Fayemi, Amaechi and Fashola (SAN)* In Akwa Ibom State, the law provides that ex governors and deputy governors receive pension equivalent to the salaries of the incumbent. The package also includes a new official car and a utility vehicle every four years; one personal aide; a cook, chauffeurs and security guards for the governor at a sum not exceeding N5 million per month and N2.5 million for his deputy governor. In Rivers, the law provides 100 percent of annual basic salaries for the ex-governor and deputy, one residential house for the former governor “anywhere of his choice in Nigeria”; one residential house anywhere in Rivers for the deputy, three cars for the ex-governor every four years and two cars for the deputy every four years. It is alledged that in Lagos, a former governor will get two houses, one in Lagos and another in Abuja, estimated at N500 million in Lagos and N700 million in Abuja. He also receives six new cars to be replaced every three years; a furniture allowance of 300 percent of annual salary to be paid every two years, and a N30 million pension annually for life. This is the reality for all the 21 ex govenors and deputy governors who are currently serving as senators. This same is also true of ex governors who are now serving as Ministers. NOW I ASK: How many years did these guys serve their states as governors and deputy governors? Is it more than 8years? Is that a reason to be entitled to these *bogus and mind bugling* pensions for life? Even if they are entitled to pension for life, must it be so outrageous? Do they have two heads? A man puts in 35years of his life in service, he ends up with a fraction of his earnings as pension. Some politician does 8years and for life he doesn't have to work again. As if that is not enough: HOW on earth can any public servant with conscience collect salaries and allowances as a senator or minister, and still have the audacity to claim pensions equivalent to the salaries of a serving governor in Nigeria? IT ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE...... Once you are elected a senator or appointed a minister, *you must forfeit any pension accruing to you from government at any level until you vacate office.* This should also apply to senators collecting military pensions like former Senate President *David Mark.* Yet these senators are in the Senate that is inviting the current finance minister to discuss the recession of Nigeria's economy. *A senator pockets approximately 30 million naira monthly as salary and allowances.* Our so called *"honourables"* are *NOT* interested in making laws that could restructure our country into economically autonomous federating States/ Regions to save the country from sectional agitations that is threatening to destroy Nigeria. Why should they? They are feeding fat the way things are now. The sad and hopeless situation is that the rest of Nigerians are busy arguing based on party, and ethnic affiliations while these enemies of state continue to rape us. Do you know that it costs tax payers *290m Naira yearly to maintain each member of our National Assembly* in a country where nothing works & 80% of the population earn below 300 Naira a day? A *working day earning* of a senator is MORE than a yearly income of a doctor; it's more than the salary of 42 Army generals or 48 professors or 70 commissioners of police or more than twice the pay of the US president or 9times the salary of US congressmen. Please say NO to this looting of Nigeria in the name of democracy by sending this text to at least 5 others. *I believe this country must have a referendum on salaries of all our law makers.* copied and paste