The Senate has rejected a controversial bill that aimed to extend the service year for National Assembly employees by an additional five years.
The bill, which had already been approved by the House of Representatives, was turned down by the Senate during a plenary session on Thursday.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), there were mixed reactions among lawmakers in the Senate after Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti), the Senate Leader, introduced the bill for approval.
Senator Sumaila Kawu from NNPP Kano supported the bill, but Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe from APGA-Abia and Ali Ndume from APC Borno had concerns. They believed the bill could create problems within the Nigerian civil service.
Abaribe opposed the bill because he saw no distinction between a National Assembly staff with specialized knowledge as Director of Finance and a Director of Finance in the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Abaribe said: “I have also looked at the retirement age for university lecturers and judicial officials, which we passed about the same time.
“And coming down to the officers of the National Assembly, I asked a simple question:
“What is the difference between the person who is a Finance Director in National Assembly and that in the Ministry of Finance?
“I do not see what separates the person who works inside here as a staff of the National Assembly from the person who works in the Ministry of Commerce as a staff member.
“We must not allow somebody to stay here beyond the rules of public service of Nigeria on retirement year.”
Ndume emphasized that the bill was controversial and advised lawmakers to handle it carefully. He urged his colleagues to reject the bill for more discussion.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio ruled that the bill was rejected due to its controversial nature.
