The Senate has turned down a contentious proposal that aimed to prolong the tenure of National Assembly employees by an extra five years.
This proposal, previously approved by the House of Representatives, was not ratified by the Senate during its Thursday plenary session.
According to reports by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the introduction of the bill by Senate Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti), sparked mixed feelings among the senators.
Sen. Sumaila Kawu (NNPP Kano) voiced his support for the legislation, while others, such as Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA-Abia) and Ali Ndume (APC Borno), voiced concerns, arguing that it would lead to discontent within the Nigerian civil service system.
Abaribe criticized the bill, stating that there was no discernible difference between a National Assembly employee with specialized knowledge, such as a Director of Finance, and a counterpart in the Federal Ministry of Finance.
He highlighted, “I’ve also considered the retirement ages for university professors and judicial officers, which we approved around the same period. Looking at National Assembly officers, I posed a straightforward question: What distinguishes a Finance Director at the National Assembly from one in the Ministry of Finance? I fail to see the distinction between an employee here at the National Assembly and one at the Ministry of Commerce. It’s crucial that we don’t permit anyone to extend their stay beyond the Nigerian public service’s standard retirement age.”
Ndume emphasized the bill’s divisive nature and called for cautious deliberation among his peers.
He recommended that the Senate reject the bill to allow for more comprehensive consultation.
Following the discussion, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, concluded that the bill was dismissed due to its controversial status.
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