From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives on Wednesday introduced a bill to alter the condition of service of legislative workers in the country.
The bill, which is sponsored by the chief whip of the House, Tahir Monguno, is seeking to increase the retirement age for legislative workers from 60years to 65 years and service years from 35 years to 40 years.
The proposed legislation seeks to professionalise the service and to ensure the transfer of knowledge and experience by the top-level management staff, who are on the verge of exiting from the system.
A move to alter the condition of service for the legislative workers generated controversy in the National Assembly, recently, with the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), clashing with the immediate past management of the federal legislature.
Monguno said the bill is necessary to strengthen the bureaucracy in the legislature.
According to him, it requires strong capacity and knowledge to pilot and stabilise the bureaucracy.
He insisted that the bill would help build institutional memory and develop a career progression plan within the Bureaucracy of the National Assembly.
‘This hopes to lead to modest improvement in the condition of service of staff, strengthen and reposition the legislative by laying a solid foundation for sustainable legislative bureaucracy,’ Monguno said.