Federal legislative aides have threatened to sue the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Ojo Olatunde Amos, and the management under him for alleged non-payment of N25 billion salary arrears.
The aggrieved aides have petitioned the Director General of Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, over the matter.
They urged Bichi to interrogate the CNA over the allegation.
The nearly 2,500 legislative aides serving the 469 Federal lawmakers also threatened to protest on Monday at the offices of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) to draw attention to their plight.
In a lengthy statement of action yesterday in Abuja by their coordinator, Zebis Prince, the legislative aides accused the CNA of owing them 21-month new minimum wage arrears, 2019 salary arrears, Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) and other sundry allowances totalling about N25 billion.
They alleged that the management misappropriated the money, which they claimed was released in two tranches.
The statement, which was co-signed by another legislative aide, Tony Omali, reads: “We challenge the management, led by the CAN, to prove us wrong by opening the National Assembly accounts for scrutiny.
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But the Special Assistant to the CNA on Media and Labour Matters, Austen Adesoro, said: “The legislative aides have not taken the CNA to DSS, EFCC and ICPC. It is only few disgruntled elements among them that are championing that cause because the elected executive of the legislative aides under Comrade Zuru Salisu has not taken the CNA or the National Assembly management to court or petitioned anybody…”
“Acting under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, we had written to the CNA for releases made to the National Assembly for 2021, but as usual, he rebuffed the official request.
“It is such impunity and lack of consequence that has emboldened the CNA to continuously mismanage Legislative Aides’ funds with reckless abandon.
“This correspondence has become imperative because of the role you (CNA) have played in ensuring there is peace in the National Assembly over this salary arrears’ debacle.
“What has been established beyond all reasonable doubt now is that the people threatening the breach of peace in National Assembly are in the CAN-led management, which has refused to fully pay aides their money, despite the money being released twice.
“This clarification is necessary so that the DSS should know where to beam its searchlight when legislative aides will commence series of actions to drive home their demands.”
THE NATION………
