By Haruna Salami
The Clerk to National Assembly (CNA), Mr. Mohammed Sani-Omolori, has called on the staff to disregard media reports that he and some staff of the National Assembly, NASS, by the Service Commission.
The Commission had Wednesday afternoon, issued a statement announcing the compulsory retirement of Mr. Sani-Omolori and 49 other Senior staff of NASS, whom it claimed had passed age of retirement.
The Chairman of the Commission, Ahmed Amshi, who signed the sack statement, claimed that the affected persons had either reached 35 years in service or attained 60 years of age.
However, Sani-Omolori, in a swift response said the actual retirement age of staff NASS, as passed by the 8th Assembly was 40 years of service or 65 years of age.
The Clerk, in a statement he personally signed, faulted the Commission for attempting to alter the resolution of the 8th National Assembly.
“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“The Resolution of the 8th National Assembly on the Conditions of Service of Staff has not been rescinded nor abdicated by the National Assembly, who under the authentic National Assembly Service Act 2014, as passed is empowered to review any proposed amendment to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”, he stated.
The CNA said 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 submitted.
He therefore urged all staff of the National Assembly, including those affected in the said report, to disregard the press release by the Commission and go about their lawful duties.
