NASS Management Threatens Legislative Aides Over Non-payment of allowances
The National Assembly management has threatened to stop direct payment of salaries and allowances of all legislative aides to them.
This threat was contained in a memo issued by the clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Omolori Chairman of the committee on the National Assembly Legislative Aides (NASSLAF) crisis and dated 3rd May, 2017 and made available to our correspondent.
The memo warned that at the slightest untoward behavior from the union, their salaries will be turned over to their principals on whose pleasure they hold their appointments, for onward disbursement to them.
Investigations revealed that hitherto, salaries and allowances of the legislative aides are paid together with senators and house of reps members who in turn paid their staff as they deem fit.
By so doing our correspondent gathered that most national assembly members hardly pay their aides, they either pocket the money, or pay half.
Some according to our sources do not employ any aide; rather they submit names of their children or wife (s).
But in recent time the situation has changed after series of compliant by the NASSLAF union, their salaries and allowances are now being paid directly to them.
It was also gathered that the persistence NASSLAF crisis was as a result of non-payment of their quarterly allowance of N75, 000 which has accumulated to eight quarters now.
Based on series of protests by the union a committee was set up with clerk of the national assembly as chairman, and Mr. Mahmud Abubakar as Secretary to resolve the crisis.
At the end of the meeting with the union a resolution was reached.
Part of the resolutions includes:
The memo further reads that the management is extremely disturbed by the series of misbehavior and conducts attributed to some of the Legislative Aides that offend the rules of the service, resolved that:
- The overall mode of operation of the Legislative Aides Forum be reviewed with a view to making the aides answerable and liable to their principals in all aspects.
- SCA to prepare an updated nominal role of the aides reflecting their Principals; and
- The DCNA, SLS, SFA, and SCA shall read the Riot Act to the aides warning them that at the slightest untoward behavior from them, their salaries will be turned over to their principals on whose pleasure they hold their appointment, for onward disbursement to them.
See below memo:
