Tenure extension of national assembly clerk is illegal - Head of Service, Folasade Yemi-Esan

Head of service (HoS) Folasade Yemi-Esan has criticized the extension of tenure of clerk of the national assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori.

Federal lawmakers had amended relevant laws which enabled the extension of the clerk’s tenure without a public hearing. Sani-Omolori’s tenure was extended by five years despite attaining retirement age.

In a memo with reference number: HCSF/SPSO/ODD/E & NP/649807/I which was addressed to the Senate President Ahmad Lawan and speaker of the house of representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, Yemi-Esan faulted the amendment made by the National Assembly to the Conditions of Service of the affected staff.

She stated that the public service rules “prescribes attainment of 60 years of age or 35 years of service for an officer to retire, whichever comes earlier”.

The memo titled ‘Presentation by the Head of Service of the Federation to the Leadership of the National Assembly on the Resolution of the 8th Assembly Regarding the Extension of Retirement Age of the Staff of the National Assembly Service Commission’, read;

“The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) classifies the clerk and other staff of the National Assembly as public servants whose conditions of service are guided are by the public service rules which derives its existence from Section 169 made pursuant to Section 160(1) of the Constitution.

“In specific terms, Section 318(1) of the Constitution states that ‘public service of the Federation means the service of any capacity in respect of the Government of the Federation and includes as (a) clerk or other staff of the National Assembly or of each house of the National Assembly.”