Senate Extends Clerk’s Tenure, 200 Staff Retirement Years

The Senate has in a surprise move extended the service years of the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), a move which will make over 200 other staff of the national assembly to have five more service years.

This came barely a week after the Senate stepped down the bill seeking extension of years of service and age of retirement for staff of the National Assembly.

The senate yesterday passed the bill seeking for service extension for third reading as earlier done  by the House of Representatives.

The red chamber had on Thursday last week when the bill seeking for its concurrence on extension of years of service for staffers of the National Assembly from 35 to 40 years and age of retirement from 60 to 65 years, stood it down on account of stiff opposition against the proposal.

Some of the senators who kicked against the proposal were the Senate Whip,  Ali Ndume ( APC Borno South), Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA Abia South),  Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse (APC Katsina South) etc.

Abaribe had in kicking against the bill said: “ All the arguments made by the leader for this bill to be concurred to, by the senate to me, do not add up. What is special about a director of finance in the National Assembly from directors of finance in the ministries and parastatals.

“The extension of years of service done for the teachers, lecturers and judicial officers   through laws passed to that effect by the senate and the House of Representatives, are understandable  but that cannot be in any way, rationalized for National Assembly staff.

“They are civil servants like those in the ministries and parastatals and should not be treated outside the public service rule. I am against this bill and admonish the senate to be cautious with the proposal.”

Senator Ndume  in his own objection to the bill said: “Mr President, if a secret ballot is to be conducted among staff of the National Assembly in the chamber with us now on the bill, many of them will vote against it. We need to be very cautious”.