About two months after both chambers of the National Assembly passed a bill extending the years of service for staff of the Parliament from 60 to 65 years, aggrieved staff have petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to veto the bill.
In a letter addressed to Tinubu and seen by DAILY POST, the staff argued that “the bill in its current form poses significant constitutional bottlenecks and raises concerns about opacity in the legislative process.”
Writing on behalf of the aggrieved staff, legal adviser to Foundation for Rights Enforcement Enlightenment and Defence, Akobo Teinye Tonbo Seddon, noted that the “bill’s provisions while they seek to extend the tenure of the clerk beyond the established retirement age, undermine the principles of fairness, equity and justice, it sets a dangerous precedent , potentially leading to a culture of tenure elongation for other public officials, hereby compromising the integrity of our democratic institutions.”
In the letter, which was also sent to the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, the petitioners further argued that the “bill violates the clear provisions of the constitution, which establish the National Assembly and define the terms and conditions of service for its officials.
“Specifically, Section 51 of the Constitution states that ‘There shall be a clerk to the National Assembly and such other staff as may be prescribed by an act of the National Assembly, and the method of appointment of the clerk and other staff of the National Assembly shall be as prescribed by that act.
“Therefore, the clerk of the National Assembly is a creation of the constitution, a constitutional office holder, and terms and conditions of service, including the retirement age as specified in the constitution.
“Any changes to these terms and conditions will require a constitutional amendment as outlined in section 9 of the Constitution.
“The National Assembly can legislate on matters related to the administration of the National Assembly, but cannot unilaterally alter the constitutional provisions relating to the clerks’ service years without following the proper procedure of constitutional amendment.”