Chairman of National Assembly Service Commission, Ahmed Kadi Amshi, says inadequate funding is hindering the development of manpower resources that will make the National Assembly work effectively.
Amshi, while receiving members of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service on a working visit yesterday, said change of conditions of service had prevented the commission from financing personnel costs.
“The last time we had a meeting with the union, they threatened to close down the National Assembly if their demands were not met. Some of the demands are genuine and we promised they would be looked into, but the money to fund it is the problem,” he said.
While appealing to the committee to help in ensuring that the commission moved to its permanent headquarters, he said 220 staff were employed by the commission, but the management of National Assembly refused to admit them.
“That is a great injustice that must be corrected, still they gave the excuse that there was no budgetary allocation to accommodate them. Unfortunately, some background recruitment still happened; while those with genuine employment letters were rejected.”
Amshi said 187 staff of the National Assembly were retired last year due to the stagnation caused for other staff to get promoted.
Responding, the committee’s chairman, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, commended Amshi for not joining “the bandwagon” to sweep the issues he met under the carpet.
