Legislative aides threaten to shut NASS over unpaid allowances

Legislative aides in the National Assembly yesterday protested over unpaid allowances and entitlements and issued a 14-day ultimatum to the management to settle the entitlements or have the place shut down.

But the Director of Information of the National Assembly, Sani Diban, when contacted, said he knew nothing about the allowances and entitlements as claimed by the aides.

Protesting yesterday at the main lobby of the National Assembly, with placards of different inscriptions, the legislative workers expressed displeasure over unpaid allowances and entitlements since October 2015. Spokesman of the protesters, Paul Usembor, said they would paralyse activities at the complex from November if nothing was done by the management to pay them their entitlements and allowances. 

He said:  “We need to come out to state our grievances against the management by carrying out a 14-sitting working day protest, in line with our advocacy rally which is taking place throughout the month of November until the issues are resolved.” He said they decided to embark on the protest after exhausting all possible avenues to get the management of National Assembly to pay outstanding allowances to about 4, 600 aides. 

He explained that they were owed Duty Transport Allowances, DTA, since October 2015 till date, adding that there had been no training since inception of the 8th assembly. Also speaking, another legislative aide, Gozie Nwachukwu, said if nothing was done to meet their demands before October 31, they will down tool. “If nothing is done between now and Tuesday, all the legislative aides will down tool.  And if we down tool, it will certainly be a clog in the wheel of the operations of the National Assembly.’’ he said.