Members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, PASAN have accused the President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of House of Representative, Femi Gbajabiamila of borrowing staff money to contest for their elections.
PASAN explicitly disclosed this through one of the placards displayed on the protest ground on Thursday.
While speaking with www.theajasanews.com, one of the officials who pleaded not to have the name on print alleged that the Clark of the National Assembly, CNA is desperate to elongate his stay in office for another five year and is said to have used the money which was meant to staff welfare to bribe Lawan and Gbajabiamila.
To this end, the official maintained that the CNA is seriously lobbying both top officials for a review in the retirement ages and service years of staffs.
They noted that CNA is hanging on the belief that if the service year of the staff can be increased from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age increased from 60 to 65 years old it would greatly benefit his quest to extend his stay in office.
The official maintained that it is reckless spending like that that has informed the untold hardship suffered by staff of the National Assembly. “the most painful thing is that National Assembly staff that people see from outside thinking we are enjoying are really suffering, while the Legislators and management are feeding fat,”
The staffs have been resolute in their demand for justice to be done, and have sent out their messages through the inscriptions in the various placards displayed during the protest.
Some of the placards displayed read:
‘N25bn releases for arrears of staff salaries and wages missing’,
‘Stoppage of existing allowances approved by both Houses of NASS is a contravention of law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’; CNA deceiving political leaders and staff;
‘PASAN demands full implementation of NASS conditions of MoU’;
‘Training funds for past 22 years embezzled’;
‘Where is monetisation policy, each Permanent Secretary has 7 official cars’;
‘NASS that makes and breaks laws’;
‘Lack of motivation limits the ability of support staff in the business of lawmaking,’ among others.
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