There is tension among National Assembly workers as over 150 of them are to either be demoted or sacked. Particularly, the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) has assessed all appointments and promotions created within the last five years, to invalidate those done without obeying public service rules.
It was heard that NASC, which is burdened with the task to make appointments into the Assembly as well as promote and train staff, has received petitions against apparent lopsidedness in many appointments and promotions done in the recent past.
The aggrieved employees seek an investigation into more than 150 such appointments and promotions. There had been threats of massive protests by the aggrieved workers should NASC refuse to take action.
The planned review has, however, been faulted by beneficiaries of the alleged lopsidedness as they drew attention to extant service rules which, according to them, forbid such reversal of appointments.
According to documents and reports, some of the controversial promotions were done by the Adamu Fika-led NASC in August 2017. The current NASC leadership has, however, discovered that the promotions were done against service rules.
It was learnt that some of those promoted jumped some steps in the service and were elevated above their contemporaries. The development led to a series of protests by the aggrieved staff who insisted that such promotions be reversed by the new leadership of the commission that came on stream last year.
The protesting workers are also demanding that Federal Character principles be followed in the commission’s promotion exercises, alleging that the promotion carried out by the Fika-led NASC favoured his section of the country.
A source in the office of the chairman said the move was necessary to guide against bad blood in the service.
According to the source, those already shortlisted for possible demotion are scouting for top traditional rulers from the North to prevail on the commission to halt the move.
He said the action ought to have been taken months before now, “but the pressure is growing by the day to halt the move, which many stakeholders in the National Assembly prefer.”
“If the commission fails to act, we should expect some consequences. Some members of staff are angry and they’re waiting to see if the commission will act.”