Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, and over 150 senior management staff of the establishment have rejected their retirement by the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC).
The clerk insisted that the retirement age for staff of National Assembly was 40 years of service or 65 years of age depending on whichever comes first and urged all staff to disregard the letter by the Commission and go about their lawful duties.
The National Assembly Service Commission on Wednesday approved the retirement of Sani-Omolori and his colleagues in a letter dated July 15, 2020 and signed by its chairman, Ahmed Amshi.
The letter said pursuant to its mandate as provided in the National Assembly Service Act 2014 (as amended), “the National Assembly Service Commission at its 497th meeting held on Wednesday 15th July, 2020 has approved the retirement age of the staff of the National Assembly Service as 35 years of service or 60 years of age whichever comes first”.
“To this effect the Commission has approved the immediate retirement of staff of the National Assembly Service who have already attained the retirement age of 35 years of service or 60 years of age. Retirement letters would be issued to the affected staff accordingly,” the letter said.
Sani-Omolori and 150 others were due for retirement since February 2020 but with a controversial amendment to the Conditions of Service of the National Assembly by the 8th Assembly, his service years were extended to five, but the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, had declared the elongation illegal.
But in a statement he personally signed,
Sani-Omolori said the attention of the National Assembly Management had been drawn to a press release signed by the NASC chairman informing the general public that the Commission has approved the retirement age of staff of the National Assembly as 35 years of service or 60 years of age whichever comes first.
“The management of the National Assembly wishes to inform all staff and the general public that the extant regulation as contained in our Revised Conditions of Service duly passed by both Chambers of the 8th National Assembly puts the retirement age of staff at 40 years of service and 65 years of age whichever comes first,” the clerk said.
“The Resolution of the 8th National Assembly on the Conditions of Service of Staff has not been rescinded nor abdicated by the National Assembly, who under the authentic National Assembly Service Act 2014 as passed is empowered to review any proposed amendment to the Conditions of Service by the Commission.
“Therefore, the National Assembly Service Commission does NOT have the powers to set aside the Revised Conditions of Service as passed by the 8th National Assembly.
“The management had maintained a studied silence in deference to the leadership of the 9th National Assembly who is looking into the position being canvassed by the Commission. It is therefore intriguing that the National Assembly Service Commission has unilaterally gone ahead to take a decision,” Sani-Omolori said in the statement.
