30 National Assembly Officials, Clerk To Retire As Tinubu Kicks Against Service Extension

At least thirty senior officials are set to retire alongside the Clerk to the National Assembly, Magaji Tambawal, following President Bola Tinubu‘s rejection of a bill that seeks their service extension.

By parliamentary procedures, Tambawal commenced his pre-retirement leave on November 1, 2024, after delegating his responsibilities to his deputy, Kamouroudeen Ogundele.

Tambawal, who initially assumed the role of acting Clerk to the National Assembly in November 2022 and was subsequently confirmed in March 2023, is scheduled to celebrate his 60th birthday in February 2025.

Naija News reports that while Tambuwal’s official retirement is slated for February, he will refrain from participating in any duties or responsibilities from the start of his pre-retirement leave until he formally vacates his position.

An official document seen by journalists indicates that other notable personnel departing include the Clerk to the Senate, Chinedu Akabueze, the Deputy Clerk to the Senate, and the Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Additionally, the departures will encompass 11 directors, six deputy directors, one assistant director, and two other directors from the National Assembly Service Commission.

Tinubu Rejects Bill Seeking Parliamentary Staff Tenure Extension

Naija News reports that this significant turnover follows President Tinubu’s refusal to approve a bill to extend parliamentary staff’s tenure.

It is worth noting that the proposed legislation sought to raise the retirement age to 65 years or allow for 40 years of service, whereas the current law mandates retirement at 60 years of age or after 35 years of service.

This bill was initially presented during the 7th Assembly but did not pass; it was subsequently reintroduced in the 8th and 9th Assemblies, yet also failed to gain approval.

The bill, which was reintroduced to the 10th Assembly and sponsored by the Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Aliyu Madaki (NNPP, Kano), successfully passed its second reading in the House in October 2023 and was ultimately approved on December 20, 2023.

Initially, the Senate rejected the bill; however, it later reversed its decision and approved it on March 31, 2024, after which it was sent to the President for approval.

In light of the President’s refusal to sign the bill, several directors are scheduled to retire between October and December. Reports indicate that a few of them are also expected to retire next year.

“Most of the staff, both at top level and medium level, got employed by the commission in 1991/1992 when the National Assembly started, hence the reason for the exodus of retirees amongst staffers,” a source told The PUNCH.

It added: “Many of them would either clock 60 years between this year and next year or would have spent 35 years working in the Civil Service.

“But many of those who are affected are as a result of age. It’s the season where a couple of the older staff would clock 60 years.”

Meanwhile, another source told reporters that the retirement would be in batches. He noted that about 20 to 30 would also retire in January 2025.

“The number of people retiring between this year and even till next year is quite huge. This is because many of the civil servants will be clocking 60 years.

“Even those who will be stepping into the new shoes have a few months to spend in the offices before they get to retirement age,” the source stated.

It was reported that, in addition to the senior officials, a considerable portion of the National Assembly’s staff is also set to resign, with many others anticipated to retire in the near future.

Furthermore, a senior official who has chosen to remain anonymous expressed concern regarding the departure of staff members from the National Assembly, highlighting the potential impact on legislative memory.

“There is no lie that a large number of people are retiring this year and next year.

“My worry is, do they have manpower on the ground that will fill that void? And if they do, what of the legislative memory? The parliament thrives on the longitude of service years; the experience will always be needed,” the source noted.

In the meantime, two senior officers observed that the retirement tally stood at scarcely 50 individuals.

A confidential informant possessing exclusive details reported that every member of the National Assembly retiring or anticipated to retire between January and December 2024 was aged 46, significantly lower than the anticipated figure of 80.

The source said, “80 is far-fetched. Yes, people are retiring and people will still retire. But the total number of people retiring between January and December is 46.”