Senate Faces Backlash Over Controversial Bill to Extend Tenure of NASS Clerk
A contentious bill aimed at separating the National Assembly’s staff from the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) faced strong opposition in the Senate. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe questioned the rationale behind treating National Assembly staff differently from other government agency employees. He argued against the bill’s emphasis on specialization, stating that there was nothing unique about National Assembly staff that justified deviating from established practices.
Senator Ali Ndume echoed Abaribe’s concerns, warning that history would judge the lawmakers harshly if they prioritized the interests of a few individuals over the public good. Similarly, Senator Zangon Daura Nasir Sani openly opposed the bill, criticizing it for being driven by the personal interests of certain individuals rather than genuine legislative concerns.
He urged the Senate President to reject the bill on the grounds of its lack of merit. Despite some lawmakers expressing support for the bill, they were prevented from speaking by those who opposed it, leading to chaos in the Senate chamber. In response to the heated debate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio decided to indefinitely suspend consideration of the bill.
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