By Ken Chiwendu
The Senate on Thursday rejected a bill seeking to elongate the retirement age of the Clerk of the National Assembly and other members of Staff from 60-65 and years of service from 35 – 40 years.
The Sponsor of the Bill, Senator Michael Opeyemi in his proposition entitled Matters,2024″A Bill for an Act to make provisions for the retirement age of staff of National Assembly Service and other related matters,2024″ had urged the Upper Legislative Chamber to extend the tenure of the Clerk and Directors in the National Assembly
But, the Senate refused the bill.
Opposing the Bill,Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) said that it would be wrong for the 10th Senate to increase the retirement age of Staff of the National Assembly given that they are not different from those working in other agencies of government
Also, Senator Ali Ndume Borno South, and Senator Zangon Daura Sani Katsina North in their separate arguments said it would be unfair to legitimise a bill for the benefit of a few powerful individuals.
Current matters reports that the current Clerk of the National Assembly,Sani Tambuwal and 200 staff who are due for retirement by November would have been the first beneficiaries of tenure elongation if the Bill had scaled through.
The Clerk, Tambuwal joined the National Assembly Service in April 1990 and was born in 1965..
The Civil service provides a mandatory policy for staff to retire at age 60 or 35 years of active service.
