N’Assembly aides protest non-payment of salaries, allowances

Aides to senators and members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday protested the non-payment of their salaries and allowances.

The dramatic protest started about 10.15am after the angry aides stormed the main lobby of the National Assembly building.

They chanted songs and lamented the alleged maltreatment by both the management of their National Assembly and their immediate bosses.

 

“All we are saying, pay us our money, our salaries; Solidarity forever,” they chanted as they massed around the lobby.

The PUNCH observed that it took the intervention of the Sergeant-at-Arms, the police and other security personnel to diplomatically disperse the aides, but not before they had made their point that they were owed accumulated entitlements of about N1.5bn.

They alleged that the over 3,000 aides had not been paid allowances or attended any training in the last one year besides being owed salaries, making it difficult for them to feed, pay rent and settle other pressing bills.

The aides stated that they resorted to the protest after several meetings with the management and complaints to their bosses yielded no result.

They threatened that in their next outing, they would block the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, from entering the chambers to preside over proceedings if no actions were taken to address their plight.

One of the aides, Mr. Ucho Kingsley, described their situation as humiliating.

Kingsley stated that the aides were denied basic training.

He added, “Today is the 12th day of the month (October) and our salary has not been paid for last month.

“Our entitlements such as transport allowance for five quarters have not been paid to us.

“It is the same for our 28-day allowance, which has not been paid to most of us. We are entitled to training at least once each quarter but till date, we have never been sent for training.

“Nobody has come to address us; nobody has come to speak to us. When we ask questions, they give us excuses that the problem is from the management or another person.

“All we want is for our salaries to be paid on time; the same thing with our entitlements which we are being owed.”

The protesters chorused that they had met with the management for “at least 17 times” to ask questions but received no positive answers.

Another aide, Mr. Yusuf Modu, complained of discriminatory practices by the management.

He claimed that the management would sometimes pay the entitlements of the regular members of staff of the National Assembly but neglected them.

Modu added, “I don’t know why this discrimination exists despite the important role we play to senators and members of the House of Representatives.

“Today’s protest is to tell the management that enough is enough. The next time we storm this place, we will not allow the Speaker and the Senate President to enter the chambers until they address us.”

When The PUNCH sought the reaction of the management of the National Assembly, it said the payment of entitlements was tied to the release of funds.

The Director of Information and Publications, Mr. Dibal Ishaku-Adamu, told The PUNCH that the normal practice was that lawmakers and the aides were paid at the same time.

He explained that the lawmakers too were owed money because funds had yet to be released for payments to be processed.

Ishaku-Adamu stated, “Legislatives aides and members are paid together. They are paid the same time.

“So, if the members have not been paid, there is no way the aides will be paid because the money comes together.

“It is wrong for them to accuse the management of the National Assembly of withholding their money.”

The 2016 budget of the National Assembly and its organs, including the National Assembly Service Commission, is N115bn.