Protest rocks National Assembly as legislative aides demand unpaid salary arrears

Lawmakers resumed from the Easter recess on Tuesday to witness legislative aides protesting non-payment of salary arrears.

The aggrieved workers under the aegis of Concerned National Assembly Legislative Aides accused
Clerk to the National Assembly, Architect Olatunde Ojo, of failure to pay their salary arrears dating back to 2019.

Other grievances listed in their demands were implementation of Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS), minimum wage, Duty Tour Allowances (DTA) and lack of training and poor conditions of service.

The aggrieved legislative aides, however, received assurances from the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, who accosted the workers on his way to the National Assembly complex.

Addressing Speaker of the House of Representatives on behalf of his colleagues, Zebis Prince, leader of the South-South geopolitical zone of the group, accused the CNA of indifference to their plights.

He restated the demands to include, non-payment of the routine Duty Tour Allowance (DTA), lack of training, non-implementation of National Minimum Wage and the Consolidated Legislative Aides Salary Structure (CONLESS).

He was corroborated by the Chairman, National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum (NASSLAF), Comrade Salisu Zuru, who presented the written demands of the group to the Speaker.

Speaker of the House of Representatives said payment of wages was inexcusable while assuring that all the demands of the workers would be addressed.

He said: “I believe that every labourer should be paid his wages. We are looking into it. While these things can be protracted, not paying wages for 2019 is inexcusable.

“We will look into it. I will just ask that you be patient. We plead for your understanding. We know there are financial constraints but one thing I know is this will be resolved amicably and your arrears will be paid.

“We appreciate you for bringing these demand to our attention and we will attend to it accordingly.”

The Legislative aides in their petition maintained that “since the inauguration of this 9th Assembly, salaries arrears of some Legislative Aides were withheld by the management.

The petition read in part: “That issue was a subject of a motion moved on the floor by Hon Bamidele Salam. The matter was referred to the House Services Committee headed by Hon Wale Raji with the mandate to, amongst other things, ‘investigate the irregularities in the payment of Legislative Aides salaries’.

“After much denial, the CNA insisted on either the House report or written authorisation from the Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission before he would pay the arrears that had been outstanding since June 2019.

“Fortunately, that report was laid, debated and adopted on, March 17, 2021. The House Resolution expressly directed the Chairman of the Commission to mandate the CNA to pay aides, their arrears.

“Specifically, we are disturbed that despite an express Legislative resolution mandating the CNA to ensure the payment of this long-overdue entitlement, three weeks after, the Chief Accounting Officer of the National Assembly has chosen to hold Honourable members and by extension the whole institution to ransom.

“The continued refusal of the CNA to pay about 2,500 aides their 2019 salary arrears has created a sharp division between aides on one hand and the management on the other.

“As you may be aware, in December 2020 aides under the auspices of ‘Salaries Arrears Affected Legislative Aides’ had through a letter dated December 13, 2020, notified the Commission, the Senate President, the Speaker, Sergeant-at-Arms, DSS (Department of State Services) and the National Assembly, DPO (Divisional Police Officer) of their intention to commence series of actions to drive home their demands for the payment of their salary arrears.

“The protest was however suspended after the NASS Director of DSS prevailed on them. The Director had assured the aggrieved aides that the money would be paid on or before December 21, 2020.

“The CNA as usual failed to keep to his words. On account of this breach, we have set machinery in motion to bring our plight to the attention of all relevant stakeholders and agencies.

“We would like to use this opportunity to express our great displeasure at the miserable and inhuman working conditions of aides in the National Assembly.

“The disdain, disregard and discrimination meted to aides need to be looked at. Some of these capricious acts include non-payment of the routine Duty Tour Allowance (DTA), lack of training, non-implementation of National Minimum Wage and the Consolidated Legislative Aides Salary Structure (CONLESS); benefits that are already being enjoyed by other workers in federal establishment.

“We are wondering why the money is being withheld by the CNA even after management had long admitted that the funds were available.

“Let it be on record that having exhausted our patience and internal dispute resolution mechanism, we have resolved to pursue our grievances using all legitimate tools at our disposal.

“Apart from this sensitisation campaign, we also intend to embark on sustained social media campaign, petition relevant agencies and NGOs to look particularly into Legislative Aides account and how it is being administered.

“As a last resort, we may approach the National Industrial Court not necessarily on the vexed arrears alone but on other entitlements that have been denied us.

“We have been pushed to the wall but we have the resolve, resources and documents to pursue these matters to a logical conclusion. We will continue our sensitisation rally for as long as it takes.”

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