Legislative aides of the national assembly under the aegis of the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum (NASSLAF) on Wednesday protested the non-payment of their salaries since last year.
The protesters marched on the foyer of the National Assembly with placards and singing solidarity songs.
During the protest, the aides chanted that the National Assembly has failed to pay the arrears despite a promise by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila that it will be resolved.
Two weeks ago, the aides staged a protest at the lobby of the National Assembly, and the Speaker addressed them with the promise to ensure prompt payment of the money.
According to one of the protesters, Zebis Prince who spoke with journalists, he said the aides are back due to the inability of the Speaker to resolve the issue.
He alleged that the money for the payment of the allowances was released in 2019.
“We have it on good authority that these salary arrears were duly appropriated and released on first-line charge.
“Unfortunately, what the management of the National Assembly is saying is that this money is no more there. What happened to the money that was released for this purpose? It is either this money has been embezzled or misappropriated.”
The aides are accusing the Clerk of the National Assembly, Olatunji Ojo of refusing to pay the allowances.
The protesters also complained about the Consolidated Legislative Aides Salary Structure, the non-payment of minimum wage and duty tour allowance among other issues.
Another protester, Lawson Oviasogie, said: “We are a body of close to 5000 legislative aides assigned to lawmakers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we are here to draw the world’s attention to the impunity and reckless disregard for authority happening here.
“We believe that as the premier lawmaking institution and the body that oversees other agencies, that this institution should start by overseeing itself because charity begins at home.
“We assumed this ninth Assembly on the 11th of June 2019 and salaries of aides that was appropriated for and we have not been paid. We are trying to explore all the internal dispute resolution mechanisms. We will take every legitimate step to address the issues.
“The other issue is CONLESS which is our salary. This is part of the discrimination we are talking about. The staff who are called Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) are on 50 per cent CONLESS, we aides who are the engine room of the lawmakers we are on 22 per cent.
“The other issue is the issue of minimum wage, which some executive agencies have been receiving since last year. Until now we have not received one. The other issue is the DTA duty tour allowance. It has been stopped. They have not paid us once.”
