Legislative aides to members of the National Assembly have written to the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan ; Speaker of the House of Representatives , Femi Gbajabiamila; Chairman , National Assembly Service Commission, Ahmed Amshi; and Clerk to the National Assembly, Amos Ojo , to protest against unpaid salaries.

The aides, under the auspices of the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum , in a letter dated December 13 , 2020, also issued a 48- hour ultimatum, from Monday , to the management to clear the backlog of unpaid salaries, failing which they would picket the premises.

The letter titled, ‘ Continued Refusal to Pay Ninth Assembly Aides Salary Arrears ,’ was copied to the Chairman , House Services ( Senate and House ); Sergeant – at- Arms, National Assembly ; Divisional Police Officer , National Assembly Division ; and the Department of State Services, National Assembly Division .

The petition has six signatures, each for the six geopolitical zones: South- South, North -Central , South- West , North- West , South -East and North-East.

The signatories , who did not put their names, however , put their telephone numbers beside their signatures.
The fresh petition by the aides read in part, “ We are by this letter issuing a 48 -hour notice of our intention to commence series of actions to drive home our demands the payment of our 2019 salary arrears . Starting from Wednesday, 16 th of December, 2020, we shall , among other steps , invoke Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution ( as amended) to embark on peaceful gathering around the precincts of the National Assembly Complex . ”

Source:- Punch ng