Senator President Akpabio opposes service elongation by bureaucrats in NASS

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has strongly criticized the practice by top bureaucrats in the National Assembly of remaining in office after the expiration of their service years.

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Speaking yesterday in Abuja during a meeting with the outgoing Chairman and members of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), Akpabio called on the NASC to exercise the powers granted to it by law and take action to remove such bureaucrats without delay.

Akpabio expressed mixed feelings about the visit of the outgoing NASC leadership, acknowledging the experience and contributions of the outgoing Chairman but also highlighting the lapses observed during their tenure.

“One of such lapses is the reluctance of some clerks in the National Assembly, Senate, or House of Representatives to exit office when their years of service expire, and the inaction of the commission in enforcing service expiration for these bureaucrats,” Akpabio said.

He added, “Tolerating such behaviour has led to unnecessary political interference in the system, which resulted in factionalization within the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) and threats to take the leadership of the National Assembly to the ‘Berekete Radio,’ otherwise known as Human Rights Radio, even though Nigeria has not established such a platform.”

The Senate President emphasized that politicizing the tenure of National Assembly staff had become an issue due to the actions and inactions of the NASC, and this must be stopped by adhering strictly to the terms outlined in the staff appointments.

He pointed out instances where some clerks, secretaries, or directors refused to proceed on terminal leave, which he described as clear cases of service elongation that the NASC must enforce.

In response, Akpabio suggested that amendments be made to the NASC’s Establishment Act, ensuring that the NASC Secretary works more closely with the leadership of the National Assembly for a more disciplined and efficient service delivery system.

Earlier, the outgoing Chairman of NASC, Engineer Ahmed Kadi Amshi, informed the Senate President that he and five other National Commissioners would be completing their tenure on February 7, 2025, after serving five years since their appointment on February 7, 2020. Amshi noted that the commissioner representing the South East would remain in office until October 14, 2026, due to a later appointment made on October 15, 2021.