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Crisis Looms in NASS over tenure elongation plot
The National Assembly, administrative staff members are reportedly devising strategies to oppose legislative backing for extending the retirement age of its outgoing Clerk and over 200 senior staff by an additional 5 years beyond the existing service scheme’s provisions.
The genesis of the conflict stemmed from recent revelations that the Senate is considering a bill to extend the retirement age of civil servants in the nation’s Parliament and State Houses of Assembly.
This move has sparked discontent among staff anticipating senior positions soon to become vacant.
The proposed bill seeks to extend the retirement age of National Assembly Staff from 60 to 65 years and from 35 to 40 years of service, whichever comes first. Notably, if the bill is passed, the current Clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Tambawal Magaji, could remain in office until the age of 65.
However, this initiative has faced staunch opposition from parliamentary staff and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), chaired by Bature Musa. The union contends that such an extension would contradict established rules and regulations governing the Public Service, where retirement is set at 60 years of age or 35 years of service.
The union also argues that passing the bill would hinder career progression for its members, primarily serving the interests of management staff. Moreover, they assert that it would contravene the Federal Government’s policies on youth development and empowerment, potentially depriving unemployed youths of job opportunities.
In response to the proposed bill, the PASAN has vehemently rejected it, urging the National Assembly management to focus on implementing existing welfare packages for staff. The union has also threatened industrial action if the legislators proceed with the bill.
While some members of the Assembly management deny the Clark’s involvement in the proposed legislation, others argue that it aims to preserve institutional memory and provide experienced staff an opportunity to continue serving.
Several attempts had been made by the two Chambers of the National Assembly to extend the retirement age of parliamentary staff of the National Assembly since 2017.
The Union argued that the controversial Bill if passed, will bring stagnation on the career progression of her members, thus would serve only the interest of the management staff, especially those who are due for retirement from service.
It averred that the passage of the Bill will contravene the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and would run contrary to the Federal Government‘s policy on youth development and empowerment.
The Union advanced its argument by illustrating that perpetuating persons who have served the nation for 35 years or attained 60 years of age will not make room for employment of Nigerian youths some of whom graduated for more that 10 years without gainful employment.
Consequently, the Union in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate and the Rt. Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives denounced the Bill and threatened industrial action should the legislators go ahead to pass the Bill.
It said the Union’s position led the two Chambers to discontinue action on the Bill which was respectively sponsored by Sunday Akon in the House and Senator Stella Odua in the Senate during 9th Assembly.
Presently, the Management led by the current Clerk to the National Assembly, Magaji Sani Tambawal is pushing for it again.
The Bill has passed in the House of Representatives and presently before the Senate for concurrence. The Senate after taking the first reading of the Bill some weeks ago reversed itself and listed it for concurrence on Wednesday 14, February, 2024.
Despite the controversy, the fate of the bill remains uncertain as it awaits the Senate’s concurrence. Staff members opposing the bill have called on the Senate to reject it, emphasizing the pressing need to address youth unemployment and implement workers’ welfare measures.
A report by global data and business intelligence platform, StatiSense, has revealed that more than 162 million Nigerians visited porn and betting websites in June 2024.
According to the platform’s most recent data, which lists the top ten websites that Nigerians saw on their mobile devices in June, a sizable percentage of this traffic visited websites with gambling and pornographic content.
A post on StatiSense’s official X page revealed that a variety of search engines, social media apps, and betting platforms were among the most popular websites.
Notably, two pornographic websites, Xvideos and Xnxx, came in second and sixth place respectively with a total of 80.18 million visits.
In addition, Nigerian mobile users visited sporting websites 176.83 million times. Of these, 83.1 million visits were allocated to sports betting sites Sportybet and Bet9ja, which secured third and fourth places on the list.
Google and Facebook were also among the sites that featured prominently in the report.
Members of the House of Representatives’ Committee on FCT, led by Hon. Aliyu Muktar Betara have applauded the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike over ongoing infrastructural development projects across the nation’s capital city.
The lawmakers who spoke during an interactive session with the Group Managing Director of Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL), Dr. Maureen Tamuno applauded her ingenuity towards improved revenue generation since her assumption of office.
While presenting her scorecard and strategy adopted in the turnaround of Abuja Investment Company Limited to the Committee, Dr. Tamuno disclosed that AICL only manages the district markets, not the entire markets across the territory.
According to her, Wuse Markets is owned 90 percent by the individuals who bought the shops while AICL owns 10 percent.
“For example, Wuse Market is owned 90 percent by the owners, we own 10 percent. What Abuja Management does for Wuse market is to manage the facility there through the toll taking which they do collect on our behalf and then they manage the facilities, they manage the refuse collections and they also work with the market association.”
Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike on Friday said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is serious in solving the economic crisis in the country.
Wike gave the assurance during the inspection of the ongoing construction of the 7.3 kilometers Gaba/Tokulo road in Bwari Area Council.
He pleaded with Abuja residents to give the present administration the needed support to deliver the dividends of democracy.
Addressing reporters during the inspection visit, the FCT Minister expressed satisfaction with the speed and quality of work on the road project and assured that it will be adequately funded to ensure its timely completion by December this year.
The Minister who revealed that the project was 40 percent complete, said about 70 percent of the contractual sum has been paid to the contractor by the FCT Administration and expressed confidence in the capacity of the contractor to deliver the project within the agreed schedule.
Wike further disclosed that the Gaba/Tokulo road, when completed, will not only enhance transportation in the rural parts of the FCT, but will also improve food security in the nation’s capital by providing access to the farmlands, as well as access to the markets.
He also stressed the commitment of the FCT Administration to providing infrastructure in the FCT Area Councils, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Wike said: “So many people have thought that we are only concentrating in the city. Yesterday, we were in Saburi, today we are in Bwari. Tomorrow, we will be in Kuje, so that people will understand that while we are doing in the city, we are also carrying out development in the satellite towns and the rural areas because by the Renewed Hope Agenda, development is not only to be concentrated within the city but also to take to the rural areas in order to improve the economy.
“Here is an agrarian area; without this road, how are they going to move their goods? And this is part of the problems we have in terms of food insecurity. People are talking about shortages of food, but if we don’t have means of transportation, that is also a problem.
“We are trying to solve that problem of transportation for farmers to be able to go and bring whatever they have produced for people to consume or to buy”.
Wike, while thanking the people of Bwari for their support for the government, also reiterated that President Tinubu was committed to addressing the economic problems of the country and called for their continued support.
He said: “We thank the people of Bwari and we want to also let them know that the government of President Tinubu is serious about solving the economic crisis we have. All we urge Nigerians is just to be patient.
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