By Victor Ahiuma-Young

ABUJA —FEDERAL civil servants, yesterday, threatened to storm and occupy the National Assembly over the cut in the budgetary allocation meant for their welfare, as controversy surrounding 2016 federal budget remains unabated.

File: National Assembly Complex

The workers on the platform of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, rejected the cut in allocation in the Service Wide Vote where promotion arrears, salary increase and pension were captured.

In a statement by its Secretary General, Mr. Alade Bashir Lawal, ASCSN said it had concluded plans to mobilise workers all over the federation to occupy the National Assembly over the cut, expressing dismay over the high level of insensitivity of members of the National Assembly for putting their personal interest over and above that of majority of Nigerians.

“It is inconceivable that the federal lawmakers have decided to reduce by N28.5 billion the N465 billion voted by the executive arm of government to settle some arrears of allowances owed thousands of civil servants, some of which have been outstanding since 2007,” the union said.

ASCSN recalled that when President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office, the union wrote series of letters drawing his attention to these outstanding allowances that had continued to generate restiveness in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, for years.