By Inalegwu Shaibu & Tordue salem
ABUJA—LEGISLATIVE activities at the National Assembly, Abuja, were yesterday delayed for hours by protesting staff of the National Assembly Service Commission due to non-payment of salaries and other allowances.

The protesters, who besieged the main entrance to the National Assembly complex for three hours, accused the management of the National Assembly Service Commission of fixing their allowances in private accounts for selfish benefits, five months after it was released by the Ministry of Finance.

They also accused the President of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, PASAN, Mr. Rawlings Agada, of colluding with the National Assembly management to defraud the staff.

One of the protesters, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, noted that they had been denied payment of allowances from the consolidated legislative salary and recent increment from President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said:   “We cannot continue to work without allowances and restructured salaries being paid. This money has been released by the Federal Ministry of Finance since July, in billions.

“But they have gone to put the money in their accounts to yield interest. Other civil servants have been paid so why should ours be different?”

Speaking on the absence of PASAN President, he accused him of being a sell out.
“Our president is a disgrace.

He has mortgaged our interest, he is supposed to fight for our interest but it is very unfortunate that he is fighting for the interest of the management. We are going to impeach him because he is dinning with the management,” he added.

But the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Muyiwa Adejokun, who later addressed the protesters, denied the allegations that the said allowances had been released by the Ministry of Finance.

He urged them to be cautious in their protests, saying “we all staff of the National Assembly, irrespective of our positions.

“We have cause to demand for our rights but at the same time, we should be cautious of the fact that there are procedures.

“We know you are entitled to your payments, but I am telling you authoritatively that the arrears have not been released.

“It is true that some have been paid, but the emolument has not been paid.  Nobody will sit on your rights. I want you to understand that our hands are tied. Let us reason together, this money is not in the coffers of the National Assembly.”

Senate President, David Mark, represented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour, Senator Wilson Ake, who also intervened in the protest, appealed to the civil servants to go back to work.

Senator Ake said:  “What we are here to do is to find solution to the problem. It is the ministry of finance that is delaying.   I want to assure you that this very matter is going to be pursued to its logical conclusion.”

National Assembly management, reacting to the protest in a statement signed by the Director of Personnel Management, Mr. Mohammed Suleiman, threatened to sanction the protesters.

The statement read:   “I equally want to warn staff to desist fro rumour mongering, fallacious campaigns and publications that could affect the service, as management shall not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions on any officer found contravening the established rules.”