221 persons recruited by the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) in 2018 have cried out to all relevant bodies to mount pressure on the commission to see that they are fully admitted as staff of the NASC.
The group who have staged peaceful protests at the National Assembly said that since their recruitment in 2018, they have been captured and given appointment letters while NASC has failed to fully regularize their recruitments.
In November the group gave the Commission 30 days to meet their demands or face a legal battle which the employees are planning with the Falana & Falana’s Chambers.
According to a letter signed by legal counsel, Marshal Abubakar, for Falana & Falana’s Chambers, the employees said they would commence legal action against NASC at the National Industrial Court if their demands are not met in time.
The letter dated November 10, 2021, has it that they were legally employed as permanent and pensionable staff via various letters of appointment, duly issued and dated July 2, 2018, and placed on salaries with effect from August 1, 2018, but are yet to assume duties.
Marshal Abubakar accused the clerk of the National Assembly Service, Mr Ojo Amos Olatunde, of being the major cause of their predicament, adding that he is blocking their resumption at the NASC.
“Upon the fact contained in the present paragraph the Commission instructed our Clients to resume at the National Assembly Service on 2nd November, 2020 to collect posting to their various offices”
“After traveling from various locations and converging for documentation/resumption on the 2nd November, 2020, the clerk of the National Assembly Service, Mr Ojo Amos Olatunde, halted them again for reasons best known to him”
They also stated that their welfare was captured in all budgets of the Commission since 2018, but have not been allowed to assume duties despite all assurances and taking part in all processes required by law as staff of the NASC.
One of the affected persons said that they feel betrayed because some of the people who were recruited with them are already working at the National Assembly Service Commission, while 221 of them were thrown aside without salaries, or hope of when to start.
The employee who spoke under anonymity said that some of them resigned from their jobs, while others turned down other job offers for the NSAC opportunity, adding that presently those have been worthless sacrifices because all they have done in the last three years was attend meetings hoping things will get better.
She further stated that their demands are simple and all they want is to be allowed to assume duty with their salaries from August 1, 2018 paid in full.
