NASS Legislative Aides threaten showdown over N5.8bn allowances

Legislative Aides to the federal lawmakers at the National Assembly, yesterday threatened to shut down the Parliament if their allegedly owed allowances totalling N5.8billion are not paid before the 25th September, 2018 resumption date of the lawmakers.
The aggrieved aides in their hundreds, made the threat at the central lobby of the National Assembly, shouting “we are aides and not slaves, pay us our entitlements!” Addressing journalists on their plights, the Chairman of the aides, Comrade Sam Melaye said the entitlements totalling about N5.8 billion now, must be paid before resumption of the lawmakers this month failure of which will lead to shutting down of the federal Parliament.
The entitlements, according to him, are Duty Tour Allowances ( DTA) not paid to any one of them within the last three years which is over N2billion, and training allowances which based on calculation of N1billion per year , is put at N3billion.
“By laid down procedures and yearly budgetary provisions of N250millio on quarterly basis, each of the legislatives aides is expected to go for training on the template of capacity building the totality of which is N1billion per year.
But for the past three years, no category of the aides has been sent on any training , let alone , paid the required allowances,” he explained.
He disclosed that the aides under the aegis of National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum had made concerted efforts to get the leadership of the National Assembly politically and administratively within the last three months, in getting the monies paid without required response or cooperation from them.
Though after the protest, the Clerk to the Senate, Nelson Ayewoh in his capacity as Acting Clerk to NASS, had audience with the aggrieved aides in his office.
But after the meeting, the protesting aides returned back to the lobby, shouting “no retreat, no surrender!”