Panic has gripped about 355 workers employed in 2017 by the National Assembly Service Commission following the delay in payment of their salaries. It was learnt that they were employed last year.
One of the workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Sometime in 2017, the National Assembly wanted to replace some members of staff who had either retired or left service. Some of us who were in the system without letters of appointment applied.
“Some of our colleagues had served as legislative aides, while some did their youth service here, but were still hanging around after the mandatory one year programme looking for jobs.
“They gave us letters of appointment, but the letters were later withdrawn when no provision was made for our salaries.”
She said many of them remained in the system for more than a year until July last year when the National Assembly Service Commission gave them fresh letters of appointment.
She said, “We were very happy but we didn’t know that we would not receive salaries until after three months in line with the civil service regulations.
“However, only a few of us have been paid after the expiration of the three-month probation, confirming the rumours that the management was thinking of sacking many of us again.”
Asked for comments, the Director of Information in the National Assembly, Rawlings Agada, said all questions should be directed to the National Assembly Service Commission, which is in charge of employment.
However, all efforts to get a reaction from the commission on Friday failed.
But a director, who spoke on condition of anonymity, allayed the fears of the affected workers. He attributed the delay in the payment of their salaries to declining revenue.
He said moves were on to pay the workers at the end of this month.
The director said, “We employed about 250 people. Those who started in December 2017 started enjoying salaries three months after. Those that were not employed the National Assembly proper in 2017 were employed in July 2018. They stayed for one year before they were asked to resume in 2019.
“I understand their names were not captured in the 2018 budget that was why it took about a year before we asked them to resume. Many of them were still coming to office even when their appointment letters had been withdrawn.
“We begged them to wait till when their names would be captured in the budget. Some of them who were offering critical services were being paid stipends from our allowances.
“That was why our staff members went on strike over unpaid allowances in December 2018, because our money was used to pay workers whose employment was still pending.”
…Legislators appointed unqualified, overpaid aides – Senior official
Also, our correspondent learnt that aides to some of the lawmakers are not qualified for the positions given to them.
It was learnt that Senior Legislative Aides were affected more by the recent downward review of salaries in the National Assembly. A senior official in the National Assembly disclosed that some lawmakers recommended aides who should get lower appointments based on their qualifications for higher positions.
The source said, “I have enquired from be NASC and I was informed that most of the members came with officers who do not meet up with the qualifications for the position of Senior Legislative Aide. We have a ‘Condition of Service’ and the requirements for you to be an SLA. It is not a political appointment but most of them (lawmakers) came with people who are not qualified.
“So, what they are trying to do now is to withdraw the earlier letters of appointment issued to them and from the capacity that they are not qualified for. They will be given letters indicating the positions they are qualified for.”
The source said the NASC had been advised to clear the air on the controversies surrounding the “regularisation” exercise.
Legislative aides, who spoke to our correspondent, said their letters had not been withdrawn and they had not been issued new ones. Some of them, however, confirmed that their colleagues were affected, including one that was disqualified and risked being sacked.
Source: Punch online.com
