Omolori: A consuming power tussle between management and commission

Last week, power tussle ensued between the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) and Management of the National Assembly led by the now removed Clerk, Alhaji Mohammed Sani- Omolori. Taiye Odewale reports.

The real issue

Bone of contention for the power tussle has been in the public domain for several months but got to the point of decisiveness of actions by the National Assembly Service Commission ( NASC) last week,  which eventually culminated into removal of Sani – Omolori as Clerk to the National Assembly , Nelson Ayewoh as Clerk of  the Senate , Abdullahi  Ahmadu Echefu as Deputy Clerk of  the Senate, Ahmed Salisu Yaro as Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives  and timeline assertion to Patrick Giwa  to get prepared to bow out on the 25th of November this year as Clerk of the House of Representatives .

Before the decisive actions of NASC last week, the now ousted management of the National Assembly, particularly the removed Clerk, Sani – Omolori, had always relied on resolution passed by the 8th National Assembly under the leadership of Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Yakubu Dogara as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The resolution as always stated by Omolori, extended the service year of staffers of the National Assembly from 35 to 40 years and retirement age from 60 to 65 years in line with relevant provisions empowering the federal parliament to regulate itself.

Trouble started for Omolori and others when based on records of service, Omolori was expected to have retired on the 6th of February this year, having joined service on the 6th of February, 1985, ditto for the other top management staff now retired who ordinarily supposed to have retired either last year or early this year based on their entry years into public service.

PASAN, others kick against public service rule

Though the said resolution by the 8th National Assembly, applied to all category of staffers but internal politics and vested interests, prevented them to have a consensus on it as pressure groups such as Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) kicked against it through several statements issued last year and early this year.

The position of PASAN was that the policy will result into stagnation within the entire chain of workforce and invariably low productivity at the highest level of the ladder since according to it, nobody can cheat nature.

Esan kicks against policy

A bigger blow came the way of the reform about two weeks ago, from no less a person than the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, when she called for a stoppage of the consolidated salary component of the policy.

Yemi- Esan, who made the call during a courtesy visit on the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said the process that resulted in the current salary structure of civil servants in the National Assembly were faulty, illegal and unsustainable.

“Implementation of Special Consolidated Salary Structure (CONLESS), approved for civil servants in the National Assembly in 2018 was illegal since workers there are not in anyway, different from those in the mainstream or core civil service”, she said.

She stressed further that the salary structure like the condition of service be discontinued and reversed for due process to be followed.

NASC catches the fire

Apparently catching in on the internal disharmony over the policy and attacks on another leg of the policy from the Head of Service, the chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), Engr Ahmed Kadi Amshi, threw in the killer punch last week Wednesday by directing Omolori and others to proceed on immediate retirement.

The statement titled : “National Assembly Service Commission Approves the Retirement Age for the Staff of the National Assembly Service as 35 years of service or 60 years of age or whichever comes first ” reads : “Pursuant to its mandate as provided in the National Assembly Service Act 2014 (as amended), the National Assembly Service Commission at its 497th meeting held on Wednesday 15th July 2020 has approved the retirement age of the staff of the National Assembly Service as 35 years of service or 60 years of age whichever comes first.

“To this effect, the commission has approved the immediate retirement of staff of the National Assembly Service who have already attained the retirement age of 35 years of service or 60 years of age. Retirement letters would be issued to the affected staff accordingly”.

Omolori fires back

But Omolori on behalf of the affected top management staff, countered Immediately by urging them to stay put on their various duty posts, alleging that NASC lacked the powers to sack them in the face of a subsisting resolution of the National Assembly, upon which their continued stay in office was based then.

Omolori in the counter statement, titled: “Retirement Age for Staff of the National Assembly is 40 years of service or 65 years of Age of retirement”, reads: ” The attention of the National Assembly Management has been drawn to a Press Release dated 15th July, 2020 signed by the chairman of the National Assembly Service commission, informing the general public that the commission has approved the retirement age of staff of the National Assembly as 35 years of service or 60 years of age whichever comes first.

“The Management of the National Assembly wishes to inform all staff and the general public that the extant regulation as contained in our Revised Conditions of Service duly passed by both chambers of the 8th National Assembly puts the retirement age of staff at 40 years of service and 65 years of age whichever comes first.

“The Resolution of the 8th National Assembly on the Conditions of Service of Staff has not been rescinded nor abdicated by the National Assembly, who under the authentic National Assembly Service Act 2014 as passed is empowered to review any proposed amendment to the conditions of service by the commission.

“Therefore, the National Assembly Service Commission does NOT have the powers to set aside the Revised Conditions of Service as passed by the 8th National Assembly.

“The Management had maintained a studied silence in deference to the leadership of the 9th National Assembly who is looking into the position being canvassed by the commission.

“It is therefore intriguing that the National Assembly Service Commission has unilaterally gone ahead to take a ‘’decision’’.

“Management urges all staff to disregard the press release by the commission and go about their lawful duties”.

The query that injured Omolori, others

But twenty-four hours after, precisely Thursday last week, Omolori and other beneficiaries of the policy got more than what they bargained for as the NASC not only slammed him with a query but later rolled out names of people to replace them.

The query against Omolori reads: “The attention of the National Assembly Service Commission was drawn to a Press Release titled: “Retirement age for staff of the National Assembly Service is 40 years of Service or 65 years of Age, whichever comes first” dated 15th July, 2020 and signed by M.A Sani-Omolori, Clerk to the National Assembly.

“As you are very much aware, the Clerk to the National Assembly is an employee of the National Assembly Service Commission, vide Section 6(1) b of the National Assembly Service Act, 2014 (As amended).

“The Clerk to the National Assembly has no authority whatsoever to dictate anything to the commission.

” Your press release is considered by the commission as a gross insubordination to a constituted authority.

“You are, by this letter requested to explain to the commission within twenty-four (24) hours as to why disciplinary action will not be taken against you as per the provision of Section 6(2) b of the National Assembly Service Act, 2014 (As Amended) for this gross insubordination”.

Though Omolori promised to respond appropriately to the query, the content of which according to him, will make all parties concerned, understand the issues at stake , but his response couldn’t achieve that as the smoking NASC , gave the killer punches on Friday with separate  statements , announcing new appointments into their positions  and retiring him and others from service immediately .

Those appointed are Mr Ojo Amos Olatunde as Acting Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Bala Yabani Mohammed as Acting Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, Dauda Ibrahim El- Ladan as Acting Clerk of the Senate and Yusuf Asir Dambata as Secretary of the Commission.

Apparently humbled by the barrel of actions from NASC, Omolori eventually surrendered on Saturday by not only congratulating the newly appointed Acting CNA, but hurriedly packed out his personal belongings from his office.

“It has ended the way God wants it – what we Muslims call destiny. We thank Almighty Allah for everything. We have moved forward.  Absolutely, no regrets for what we did and what we did not do”, he said.

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