The Senate has rejected the controversial bill seeking to extend the service year for employees of National Assembly by additional five years.
During Thursday’s plenary session, the Senate rejected the bill that had passed the House of Representatives.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there were missed reactions amongst lawmakers in the Senate after the Senate Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti) introduced the bill for concurrence.
Although Senator Sumaila Kawu (NNPP Kano) spoke in favor of the bill, Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA-Abia) and Ali Ndume (APC Borno) voiced their reservations, claiming that the bill would lead to dissatisfaction within the Nigerian civil service.
Abaribe said he was against the passage of the bill, because there was no difference between a staff of National Assembly who has a special knowledge as Director of Finance and a Director of Finance in Federal Ministry of Finance.
Abaribe said: “I have also look 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 distinguishes an employee of the National Assembly working here from an employee of the Ministry of Commerce.”
“We must not allow somebody to stay here beyond the rules of public service of Nigeria on retirement year”.
Ndume on his part, reiterated the contentious nature of the bill and urged the lawmakers to be careful in processing it.
The lawmaker urged his colleagues to repudiate the bill for further consultation.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, after his ruling declared that the bill was repudiated because it was controversial.(NAN)
