By Jude Opara, Abuja

The National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum (NASSLAF) yesterday accused the management of the National Assembly of withholding allowances and other entitlements due to them since they were engaged in 2019. They are said they will embark on a peaceful protest  beginning from March 8, if all the outstanding entitlements were not paid.

NASSLAF Chairman, Alhaji Salisu Zuru who made the accusation while briefing newsmen at the National Assembly complex said there has been a systemic and monumental corruption, and embezzlement of appropriated funds meant for payment of salaries and allowances of Legislative Aides by the Management of the National Assembly.

Zuru explained that the National Assembly Legislative Aides are Parliamentary staff employed by the National Assembly Service Commission on a tenure basis as political appointees to provide technical legislative, and administrative support to elected members of the nation’s apex legislature.

He added that over the years, the functions of the legislative Aides have been expanded to include conducting research, Bills and Motions drafting, writing briefs and speeches for the legislators, handling of protocols, coordination of constituency offices and projects, press relations among others. 

“Since the advent of the 9th National Assembly Commission in 2019 under the current leadership, legislative aides have been subjected to servitude through denials of legitimate entitlements and allowances provided for under the aforementioned service documents. 

“In the 2019 Appropriation Act, the sum of N128Bn was appropriated for salaries and overhead for legislators, National Assembly bureaucracy and legislative aides. This means that salaries and allowances of legislative aides and their principals (legislators) takes effect from the day of inauguration of the 9th Assembly officially recognized as their date of assumption of duty, 11 June, 2019. 
“Legislative aides usually assume duty same day with their principals, but due to bottlenecks from the then National Assembly Service Commission, aides received appointment letters between 11 June – 31st December 2019, endorsed by their Principals with effective date from 11 June, 2019.  When it was time for payment of the arrears, management chose to pay some aides and refused to pay others.

“The 9th NASSLAF EXCO have been battling management on these issues since inauguration in October 2020 to no avail. Management at a time said there was no money. All these while, our colleagues have concluded that the leadership of NASSLAF have been compromised. This led to the emergence of what is today known as the “Salary Affected Legislative Aides”, a pressure group, ostensibly, to support the effort of EXCO”.

The aggrieved workers added that the new minimum wage that was as approved by Federal Government in 2018, and was supposed to take effect from January 2020, has not been fully implemented. 

“In January 2022, four  months out of the 24 months minimum wage arrears was paid to aides, while the consequential increase has not reflected in our salaries. Before now, duty tour allowance is paid to legislative aides quarterly. But since the advent of the 9th Assembly, we have not been paid this allowance”.

Zuru equally accused the National Assembly Service Commission of complicity in the matter by making itself inaccessible.

Meanwhile, the NASS management has denied embezzling or diverting entitlements due for the legislative aides.

Special Adviser on Media & Labour to the Clerk to the National Assembly, Adesoro Tolu Austen in a statement said there is no iota of truth in the allegation.

He wrote; “Clerk to the National Assembly, Ojo Olatunde Amos, has described as baseless speculative and unfounded allegations by the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum (NASSLAFF) that the National Assembly Management allegedly diverted and embezzled funds appropriated for Legislative Aides”.

He also accused the protesters as making unfounded claims even when they have not explored all internal mechanisms available to them.

The National Assembly stated that funds approved in December 2021 through Virement was N25billion meant for payment of minimum wage arrears and outstanding liabilities owed local contractor. He added that out of the approved amount, N5B was released for payment of minimum wage arrears wherein National Assembly Staff and National Assembly Service Commission Staff was allocated N2.3B while Legislative Aides got N2.7B.