A group of 42 civil society organisations has filed a suit challenging the constitutionality of the laws passed by several Houses of Assembly, providing what they describe as ‘bogus pension’ for state governors and their deputies.

The suit was filed in August 2014 and named as defendants all the 36 state governors, the 36 Houses of Assembly, the revenue mobilisation and fiscal allocation commission and the attorney general of the federation.

The main contention of the group is that the State Houses of Assembly cannot make laws on pension and remuneration of governors and their deputies outside the provisions in the constitution which empowers the revenue mobilisation and fiscal allocation commission to do so.

“Since revenue mobilisation and fiscal allocation commission has stipulated pensions and remuneration of public officers, state houses of assembly lack the power to make similar law on the same subject matter,” the organisations claimed.

The case, which was to come up for mention, did not move forward because of the inability of the plaintiffs to serve the Governors and Houses of Assembly of Adamawa and Taraba States the necessary documents.

The counsel to the organisations asked the court for an extension of time to serve the remaining respondents.

Without any opposition from the respondents present in court, Justice Ahmed Mohammed adjourned the case to January 28, 2015 for mention.

Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Benue, Gombe, Kwara and Ondo States recently passed laws making provision for life time remuneration for their state governors and deputies after they leave office.