Abuja — As the Yar'Adua administration comes under pressure due to its consistent criticism by All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) presidential candidate in the last elections, General Muhammadu Buhari, there are indications that the government is taking its own pound of flesh by withdrawing Buhari's utility vehicle and stopping his pension.

But the Office of the Head of Service (HOS) denied last night that Buhari's pension was ever stopped. Chief Press Secretary to the Head of Service, Mr. Ajakaiye, told LEADERSHIP last night, "No such thing has been brought to my office. I am not aware of such thing", he maintained.

LEADERSHIP had earlier contacted sources at the Military Pension Board (MBP), who insisted that the office of the HOS was responsible for Buhari's pension matters, being a former Head of State.

LEADERSHIP reveals exclusively that Buhari's protracted presidential legal battle, biting criticism of its policies and programmes, as well as spearheading the opposition politicians to form a mega-party, the National Democratic Movement (NDM) to challenge Yar'Adua's plans for 2011, have made the government to take measures by stopping the former head of state's pension since December 2008.

A dependable source that requested for anonymity told our correspondent, "Since December last year, General Buhari's pension of N85,000 given to him monthly as pension after retiring as an Army general and former head of state, has been stopped by the Yar'Adua administration without notice.

"I think the government is just being vindictive or at best out to punish the former Nigerian leader on account of his pursuit of legal redress over the last general elections and his criticism of the Yar'Adua government for leading Nigeria into a failed state."

Similarly, a letter made available to LEADERSHIP, emanating from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, dated October 10, with reference number AFHS/005/PER/T:2/106 and signed by Halima Lawan (Mrs), a director in the General Services Department, has requested for the return of a Peugeot 505 utility saloon car given to Buhari by the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

Investigations revealed that under Abacha, a committee headed by the then SGF, Alhaji Aminu Saleh, was constituted and it came out with detailed benefits that was gazetted and a directorate was established in the SGF's office to take care of all former Nigerian leaders by giving them, among others, utility vehicles that would be renewable every four years.

Part of the benefits is a yearly medical trip abroad to any country of their choice for a former leader, his spouse, four children and two aides, as well as two vehicles for utility that would be renewable every four years. Others include the building or renting of a befitting office to be furnished at his state of residence.

LEADERSHIP got it on good authority that it was on the strength of this gesture that the Abacha administration implemented the benefits by giving Buhari the first vehicle, a Peugeot 505 saloon car and after 12 years or so, the car was not renewed, which the Yar'Adua administration has demanded for its return to the government.

While obliging the government's request, Buhari who returned the car in good condition with a covering letter dated October 28 and signed on his behalf by Mr. M.F. Abba, thanked the government for its magnanimity and the desire to withdraw the vehicle after 12 years of service.

LEADERSHIP findings revealed that contrary to the dictates of the term of the gazetted benefits, which specified for the provision of offices to the former leaders, Buhari's office has all along been a rented space located at Jabi Road in Kaduna.