Activist warns against non- implementation of condition of service for NASS staff

A human right activist, Victor Egwim has warned that any attempt to scuttle the implementation of the revised National Assembly condition of service is a rape of democracy.

Egwim, who spoke through a statement made available to our reporter, stated that the move by the faceless group calling for its suspension is not only undemocratic, but politically motivated by individuals with ulterior motives.

He called on the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to intervene, adding that the National Assembly Service Commission needs to be rescued from the hands of enemies of democracy.

He said that the new condition of service has been in operation since the 8th assembly and currently being adopted at state Houses of Assembly. 

According to him, the revised condition of service was aimed at putting Nigeria’s parliamentary workers at par with their counterparts in the world.

He pointed out that the call for the suspension of the reviewed condition of service is a calculated attempt at elongating the tenure of service of the head of the National Assembly’s bureaucracy.

The statement quoted an unnamed commissioner of the National Assembly Service Commission from one the north -central states, as stating that when the commissioners resumed in February, that there was a new condition of service in place.

“During this period, when the report got to the Senate, they thought it wise to make it 40 years of service and 65 years retirement age. 

“We all know that the legislature is the youngest arm of government because it is just about 21 years old, as it took effect when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo became the President, while the executive and the judiciary have been in existence since 1960.

“They discovered that the retirement age of 35 years and 60 years does not allow the officers to give back to the commission after being trained. This is because when they are supposed to be at the peak of their service, they would be exiting the service because of the retirement age. 

“However, the commission ends up calling them back as consultants and pay them 10 times more than their annual salaries, which is not healthy for the nation.

“Moreover, the Union embraced it and agreed that it is better to extend service years instead of wasting money to hire them as consultants after retirement, so that they can render the services needed maximally before they can retire. 

“The National Assembly which is headed by Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbjabiamila concurred and amended it. So it was amended for the benefit of everyone, and not for any specific individual. 

“Obstructing the implementation is not in the interest of the national service, but for selfish reasons,” the activist averred.