By Segun Otokiti, Abuja– Worried by hardship, deaths and bad health being suffered by retired staff of the National Assembly, the Council of retired Clerks & Secretaries and the Association of retired Staff of the National Assembly has appealed to both chambers of the federal legislative bodies to expedite action in constituting and inaugurating the National Assembly Service Pensions Board without further delay in order to save the lives of retired staff who are dying of starvation.
The Council made the appeal during a joint emergency general meeting at the Senate Conference Room to deliberate on the delay in implementing the National Assembly Service Pensions Board Act, 2023.
The meeting, which was presided over by Dr Adamu Fika, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Council of Retired Clerks and Secretaries recalled that the National Assembly Service Pensions Board Act, 2023 went through full Legislative process in the 9th National Assembly before it was assented to by President Muhammad Buhari and expressed regret that delay in implementing the Act is causing undue and untold hardship to the retired Staff of the National Assembly who are unable to access their retirement benefits.
The meeting also noted that a number of the retired staff had died and many are bedridden due to sufferings occasioned by non-payment of their entitlements to maintain their health and care for their immediate families.
The joint meeting viewed with serious concern the sufferings to which the retired staff had been subjected since 2023 due to non-payment of their retirement entitlements.
It also disclosed that appropriate recommendations have been made to the presiding officers of the National Assembly for the composition and inauguration of the National Assembly Service Pensions Board in line with the enabling Act but that negligence of it had caused retired staff of the institution to feel abandoned at crucial points of their lives despite their commensurate contributions to the progress and success of the Assembly.
Participants at the joint meeting alleged that the National Pensions Commission, PENCOM, had officially written to the National Assembly withdrawing its services to the retired staff of the National Assembly in line with the provisions of the Act, and had therefore refused to further document or process payments of retirement benefits of retired staff of the National Assembly since 2023.
To give effect to deliberations at the meeting, they therefore resolved that the leadership of the National Assembly should kindly constitute and inaugurate the National Assembly Service Pensions Board without further delay in order to save the lives of retired staff that are dying of starvation.
The meeting also recommended that a team of senior retired staff should directly interface with the leadership of the National Assembly for quick operationalization of the National Assembly Service Pensions Act, 2023.
Participants at the meeting, however, appreciated the leadership of the 10th National Assembly for making provision in the 2024 Appropriations Act for the take off of the National Assembly Service Pensions Board.
Statement issued on the outcome of the meeting was signed by Dr Adamu Fika (OFR mni), Chairman BoT Council of Retired Clerks and Secretaries; Barr C.J Osman, Chairman, Executive Management Committee Council of Retired Clerks and Secretaries; Mr. Charles Adebayo, Chairman, Association of Retired Staff of National Assembly, and Mr Patrick A Giwa, Chairman, Communique Drafting Committee.
