Legislative Aides to lawmakers on Tuesday stages a wide protest in the National Assembly over delays in payment of their salaries and allowances.
The protesters who carried placards and obituary pictures said they were protesting the death of a legislative aide to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Yusuff Lasun whom they said shows no concern over the situation of the decease aide.
Mr. Hassan Abiodun, a Senior Legislative Aide to the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yusuff, died on Friday, 9th June, 2017, at the University Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, for failure to raise the sum of N165,000 for medical attention.
While speaking with newsmen on behalf of the protesting aides, on Tuesday, Barr. Faduba Dayo, said Mr. Abiodun would not have died, if the May salary was paid promptly.
“We just received our May Salary yesterday, Monday 12th June, Faduba said.
They accused the National Assembly Management of conniving with SunTrust Bank, where the aides’ salaries are domiciled, to trade with their salaries, withhold it longer than necessary and cause aides to suffer penury.
The aides unanimously agreed that their salary accounts should be moved from SunTrust Bank, which they described as “Microfinance Bank, having only one branch in Abuja”, to another commercial bank, for accessibility.
They also demanded that their salaries be paid as and when due.
Meanwhile, the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has summoned the management of National Assembly over the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Hassan Abiodun.
In a chat with his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sanni Onogu, the Senate President was particularly pained over the development and was currently meeting with the management, to bring lasting solutions to the crisis.
As at the time of filing this report, the Deputy Speaker, Yusuff, could not be reached for comments.
