Aides Salary: Lawan adamant, withholds 13 months payment

President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan has again rejected payment of outstanding salaries owing over 200 Legislative Aides, appointed over a year in the services of the National Assembly.

The Executive body of the  National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, NASSLAF, who frown at the unperturbable attitude of the Senate President said the NASS management have exhausted all excuses given as reasons for denying these Staff their basic emoluments and salary, adding that the body is strategizing on renewing negotiation, also waiting for the outcome of meetings between the Minister of Finance and Director General,  Budget Office on the issues. 

This delay in payment of salary and other emoluments is happening for the first time in the history of the National Assembly under the leadership of Lawan's Senate Presidency, where appointed Aides will have to wait over a year before been payrolled.

It was also gathered that Legislative aides in the National Assembly were still denied enrollment into the approved minimum wage structure of the Federal Government despite that the Bill was passed into law by the two Chambers of the Assembly over five years ago.

NASSLAF said refusal to honour standard procedure in the payment of staff salaries and emoluments in the National Assembly amounted to setting bad attecedent under Senator Lawan's leadership and National Assembly management.h

It will be recalled that Parliamentary Staff  Association of Nigeria, National Assembly Chapter, PASAN embarked on a week warning strike in May this year to request for payment of nine months arrears owing staff which was authorized for payment few weeks ago. The Legislative aides are still walloping and afraid to raise objection due to threat to terminate their appointments if anyone raise dust in the imbalances in wages payment in National Assembly.

When contacted, a staff at the Legislative aides Account section of the National Assembly, who claimed anonymity confirmed non-payment of salary and other emoluments to the affected staff, saying the reasons for the delay of payment is strange in the practice of National Assembly.

He blamed the delay in salary payment on the possibly misunderstanding between the leadership of National Assembly and the Management, "I am still surprise that it became difficult to offset salary of these aides. The Legislators and Management of the National Assembly usually work together in appointing Aides, I am sure it is still practicable. A letter for approval is sent from the Legislator to the Clerk of the National Assembly who in turn approve such appointment after diligent perusal and consideration.

"Reason for this delay is yet to be ascertained. We are aware of that proper procedures were carried out before documentation. Paying these aides should not have been any issue. This is very strange to the National Assembly system and it must be resolve in order to forestore diligence back into the system. He urged.

Affected staff are left with nothing but to appeal to relevant bodies and individuals to save them the mockery and shame incapacitating them to shoulder their responsibilities due to refusal by the Lawan led National Assembly to honour standard procedure in salary payment.