From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Staff of the National Assembly has kicked against a bill seeking to amend the National Assembly Service Pension Board ( Establishment) Act 2023, which is currently before the House of Representatives.
The staff, under the aegis of Concerned Members of Staff of the National Assembly Service, in a memorandum to the House Committee on Public Service Matters, said the proposed legislation was inimical to the welfare of the staff of the federal legislature.
The workers, in the memorandum, presented by a former Clerk of National Assembly, Prince Yemi Ogunyomi, on behalf of serving and retired staff, at a public hearing organised by the committee, said the bill appears to serve the interest of a select few.
They explained that the National Assembly Service Pension Board (Establishment) Act, 2023, which was enacted in March 2023, was in response to the harsh realities faced by retired staff of the National Assembly Service.
According to them, many staff of the National Assembly died in despair, owing to alleged inefficiencies and inadequacies of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), which “failed to recognise the peculiarities of the legislative service.”
The staff added that, “the proposed Bill is a blatant display of disconnect between legislators who earn very handsome salaries and particularly the top management who earn salary for life and the very staff who drive the legislative machinery. It reflects insensitivity and disregard for the sacrifices and wellbeing of those who have served the legislature with distinction.
“This retrogressive move threatens to condemn loyal and diligent personnel to hardship, illness and premature death upon retirement, an outcome that the Principal Act was designed to prevent.”
Furthermore, they added that, “The phrase ‘as and when due’ in Section 1(a) is vague and lacks clarity, unlike the Principal Act which specifies clear retirement entitlements, including, 500 percent of annual net emolument as terminal benefit, 300 percent of annual gross emolument as gratuity, 50 percent of annual net emolument as yearly medical allowance (Section 7).
“Section 1(c) proposes uniform regulations across varying salary grades without addressing salary harmonisation. This is fundamentally unfair, erroneous and inequitable.
“Section 1(d) deceptively attempted a reintroduction of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), from which staff of the National Assembly were lawfully exempted under the Principal Act.
“This development is particularly concerning as it is being driven by the top management of the national assembly, many of whom have their own retirement benefits securely guaranteed through provisions that include lifetime overseas medical allowances and salaries.
“We find it deeply troubling that those advocating for a return to the discredited Contributory Pension Scheme are insulated from its adverse effects. Their privileged retirement arrangements stand in stark contrast to the uncertain future they are proposing for the majority of National Assembly staff, who are unlikely to reach the top positions of clerk or secretary.
“Accordingly, we question both the motives and the rationale behind the proposed amendments, which appears to serve the interest of a selected few, who are neither stakeholders nor beneficiaries of the Act at the expense of the broader staff population.”