Members of staff of the National Assembly have called on president Bola Tinubu’ to veto the proposed extension of the retirement age of parliamentary staff from the computer 60 years to 65 years
Recall that the National Assembly had passed a bill in March to extend the year if service if parliamentary staff from 60 to 65 years,
But the NASS staff who rejected the passage of the controversial bill have petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, asking him not to give ascend to the bill which they said is against the nation’s civil service rule and gives undue advantage to only parliamentary staff against other public workers in the civil service.
The NASS staffers in a letter addressed to Tinubu, argued that “the bill in its current form poses significant constitutional bottlenecks and raises concerns about opacity in the legislative process.”
Writing on behalf of the aggrieved staff, legal adviser to Foundation for Rights Enforcement Enlightenment and Defence, Akobo Teinye Tonbo Seddon, noted that the “bill’s provisions while they seek to extend the tenure of the clerk beyond the established retirement age, undermine the principles of fairness, equity and justice, it sets a dangerous precedent , potentially leading to a culture of tenure elongation for other public officials, hereby compromising the integrity of our democratic institutions.”
The NASS petition, which was also sent to the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, further argued that the “bill violates the clear provisions of the constitution, which establish the National Assembly and define the terms and conditions of service for its officials.
“Specifically, Section 51 of the Constitution states that ‘There shall be a clerk to the National Assembly and such other staff as may be prescribed by an act of the National Assembly, and the method of appointment of the clerk and other staff of the National Assembly shall be as prescribed by that act.
“Therefore, the clerk of the National Assembly is a creation of the constitution, a constitutional office holder, and terms and conditions of service, including the retirement age as specified in the constitution.
“Any changes to these terms and conditions will require a constitutional amendment as outlined in section 9 of the Constitution.
“The National Assembly can legislate on matters related to the administration of the National Assembly, but cannot unilaterally alter the constitutional provisions relating to the clerks’ service years without following the proper procedure of constitutional amendment.”
