Sacked NIMC workers disrupt activities in NASS

By Okey Ndiribe & Emman Ovuakporie

Abuja – Activities at the National Assembly were nearly paralysed, Tuesday, as sacked workers of. National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, laid siege at the entrance  of the complex.

The protesters, who stormed the National Assembly in hundreds apparently caught security operatives stationed at the complex napping as they arrived early and succeeded in barricading the entrance.

Some of the protesters carried placards with the following inscriptions: “Sack NIMC DG now” “Listen to the cry of 4029 staff of NIMC who were sacked without due process” “Onyemenam is a thief.”

Human and vehicular barricade mounted by the protesters resulted in a traffic gridlock which forced many motorists to abandon their cars along the drive-way into the National Assembly.

The protesters later became unruly as they molested journalists and other passers-by. A television camera man was said to have been rough-handled by the protesters.

Many workers at the federal legislature were forced to go back home.

However, other staff who reported for duty had to trek a distance of about two kilometres to get to their various offices.

Spokesman of the protesters,  Useh Fidelis, said about 4000 staff of the commission were laid off without due process.

He said: “The aggrieved staff have made several representations to the National Assembly without fruitful results.”

However, the two chambers of the National Assembly  held their plenaries, as federal legislators and their principal officers had to use the rear entrance to gain access into the National Assembly.

The sacked workers are demanding reinstatement to the service, while some are asking for payment of their full benefits.

The National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, was set up by the Federal Government in 2007 to manage the National Identity Database and assign a Unique National Identification Number and issue General Multi-Purpose Cards to registered individuals.