Fred Fred and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The leadership of the National Assembly consisting of the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives will meet today over the controversy trailing the revised condition of service for staff of the federal legislature.
Those expected at the meeting include the chairman and commissioners of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC).
Sources say the meeting is to lay to rest the controversy over the revised condition of service which extends the retirement age of staff from 60 to 65 and working years from 35 to 40.
About 150 staff of the National Assembly, including the clerk to National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori and secretary of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), Mr. Olusanya Ajakaiye, who are due for retirement, are expected to benefit from the extension.
Though the Senate is yet to take an official opposition on the issue, the House in a letter by the clerk, Patrick Giwa, to the NASC last week, had stated that the Green chamber cannot rescind the decision of the 8th Assembly, which approved the revised condition of service.
However, a Non Governmental Organisation, (NGO), Next Level Due Process , yesterday, said it will file a suit at an Abuja Federal High Court to challenge the legality of the upward review of retirement age of National Assembly staff.
The chairman of the group, Abdullahi Tanko Aliyu who disclosed this in a statement stated that the group has briefed its lawyers to file an action.