Under the auspices of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, National Assembly employees have demanded that their retirement age be raised to 65 years old or 40 years of service.

Note that, in the federal civil service, the retirement age is 35 years of service or 60 years of age, whichever comes first.

The Association’s chairman, Sunday Sabiyi, issued a statement on Thursday in which he called on the Senate to enact the workers’ demand.

He also stated that the extension of the retirement age or the number of service years was necessary because of the disruption of democracy by Nigeria’s military had left the Legislature short-staffed with qualified personnel.

The contentious retirement bill, which sought to raise the age of retirement for National Assembly staff members to 65years of age or 40 years of service, whichever comes first, and to apply to all 36 State Houses of Assembly, was recently rejected by the Senate.

When the bill was brought up for discussion with support from Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele of the APC, Ekiti Central, the majority of senators fiercely opposed it, claiming that it would prevent junior staff members from advancing in their careers and would terminate the employment of young Nigerians.

The Senate was forced to withdraw the contentious legislation in response to the senators’ vocal opposition.

Following the controversies resulting from the opposition of the bill, the Senate had to disregard it.

The proposed legislation is titled: “A bill for an Act to make provisions for the retirement age of staff of National Assembly Service and for other related Matters, 2024.”

The Bill is currently the only one the Senators have designated for concurrence, according to today’s Order Paper.

Sabiyi went on to say that the legislature has been impacted by the uncertainty in the advancement of its employees’ careers, which has always been the victim in the event of a military coup.

He said, “You will please, recall that the 8th National Assembly by resolution passed the National Assembly Service . Staff Regulations 2019 extending the retirement age for Staff of the National Assembly Service to 65 years of age or 40 years of Service whichever is earlier, and was printed in the Official Gazette No. 24, 2019.

“Consequently, the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria viewed that the said Condition of Service was inconsistent with the provisions of the Pension Reform Act, 2014 and the Public Service Rules and rejected the same considering that the extension of Service can only be archived by way of passing a Bill into law.

“Upon the constitution and subsequent inauguration of the National Assembly Service Commission in 2020, the union registered an official protest to the Commission against the said Condition of Service. After several consultations with the leadership of the 9 National Assembly, the Commission met and issued a reverse Condition of Service effective 17th July 2020 which repealed the extension of the years of service.

” The Harmonised Retirement Age for Staff of Legislative Houses in Nigeria Bill was later introduced by the 9th House of Representatives but was not passed due to concerns raised by Honourable Members on the powers of the National Assembly to legislate for the Houses of Assembly and Local Government legislative Houses.

“Accordingly, Mutatis Mutandis, the 10th House of Representatives introduced the Harmonised Retirement Age for Staff of National Assembly Service in Nigeria Bill, 2023 which was overwhelmingly supported by the entire Members of the House of Representatives, passed and transmitted to the Senate for concurrence pursuant to Order Twelve Rule 11 (5) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives.

” The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria being the Labour Union under the highest law-making organ in democratic governance convened its congress, deliberated on the Bill, voted and passed a resolution in support of the Bill as Passed by the House of Representatives without a single descending voice from any member.

“The Union noted with utter dismay the undemocratic actions of some Staff who went around and misled Senators that the majority of Staff were not in support of the Bill when the piece of legislation was slated for consideration in the Senate. For clarity, the Congress resolution was presented to the Leadership of the Senate and all Distinguished Senators for their information and guidance.

“Therefore, we respectfully urge the Leadership of the Senate and all Distinguished Senators to please disregard the false claims and pass the Bill as there is a dearth of qualified staff in the Legislative Arm of Government due to the interruption of democracy in Nigeria, the Legislature which has always been the victim has been affected by instability in the career progression of its staff. The few trained officers are also caught up with the Public Service Rules, thereby creating a vacuum and shortage of qualified manpower in the Legislative Service. Hence, the need to increase the retirement age as proposed in the Bill to fill the vacuum and maximize the knowledge and experience acquired by the few staff and buiid the capacity of the young staff of the National Assembly Service in Nigena

“Considering the importance of Legislative Service as a specialized Service globally. the oassage of the Bill into Law will strengthen the legislature and bring it in conformity with international best practices as an Arm of Government as similar legislation is provided by other Arms of Government which includes: (a) Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022 which provides that “Teachers in Nigeria shall compulsorily retire on attainment of 65 years of age or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier.

(b)Retirement age of Staff of Polytechnics and Colleges of Education (Harmonisation) Act, 2012 which provides that “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Pensions Act, the compulsory retiring age of an academic staff of polytechnics and Colleges of Education shall be sixty-five years”. (c) Universities Miscellaneous Provision (Amendment) Act, 2012, which provides for 70 years of retirement age for University Professors and 65 years for non-academic staff of Universities; and (d) The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) (No. 37) Act, 2023. Which provides that“a judicial officer appointed to any of the superior courts of record specified in section 6 (5) of the Constitution may retire when he attains the age of sixty-five years and he shall cease to hold office when he attains the age of seventy years”

” In light of the above, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is invited to rightly exercise its legislative powers by passing the Harmonised Retirement Age for Staff of National Assembly Service in Nigeria Bill into Law, for the stabilization and development of capacity in the National Assembly Service, for the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria and fairness to the various Arms of Government in line with the doctrine of separation of powers.”