Senate President Godswill Akpabio has issued a strong warning against the practice of top officials within the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) overstaying their service years.
He emphasized that such practices should not be allowed to continue and urged the NASC to use its legal authority to prevent further occurrences.
Akpabio made these remarks on Monday while hosting the outgoing Chairman of NASC, Ahmed Amshi, and other commission members who visited him for a courtesy call.
He pointed out that lapses observed over the years, including the reluctance of some clerks in the National Assembly, Senate, and House of Representatives to retire when their tenure expires, must be addressed.
During the meeting, Akpabio highlighted the issue of bureaucrats seeking to elongate their service beyond their appointed years.
He stressed that the NASC had failed to enforce retirement rules at the appropriate times, which had led to unnecessary politicization and factionalism within the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN).
“The tolerance of such behavior by NASC has brought unnecessary politics into the system, with some individuals threatening to escalate matters through media outlets like ‘Berekete Radio,’” Akpabio said.
He added that the refusal by some clerks and directors to proceed on terminal leave was a clear indication of service elongation that must be addressed by NASC.
Akpabio also promised legislative action to amend the NASC Establishment Act to ensure better coordination between the Secretary of NASC and the leadership of the National Assembly, aiming to foster a more disciplined and efficient service delivery system.
In his remarks, outgoing Chairman Amshi informed Akpabio that he and five other National Commissioners would be concluding their service on February 7, 2025, after serving a five-year term since February 7, 2020.
