Senior Civil Servants vow to storm NASS over 2016 budget

BAFFLED by the cut in the budgetary allocation in the Service Wide Vote under which promotion arrears, salary increase and pension of workers is captured, the organised labour under the aegis of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has vowed to picket National Assembly unless there is reversal.

Stressing the readiness of the association to mobilise workers all over the federation to occupy the National Assembly over the cut in the budgetary allocation, the Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, expressed dismay over the high level of insensitivity of members of the National Assembly for putting their personal interest over and above that of majority of Nigerians.

Expressing its regret over the move, ASCSN stated that “It is inconceivable that the Federal Lawmakers have decided to reduce by N28.5 billion the ₦465 billion voted by the Executive arm of Government to settle some arrears of allowances owed thousands of civil servants, some of which have been outstanding since 2007.”

The ASCSN recalled that when President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office, the Union wrote series of letters to him drawing his attention to these outstanding allowances that had continued to generate restiveness in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for years.

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“These allowances include but are not limited to salary arrears, promotion arrears outstanding since 2007, 1st 28 days in lieu of hotel accommodation, Duty Tour Allowance (DTA), Mandatory Training Allowance for 2010, Burial expenses, Repatriation Allowance among others.”

The ASCSN therefore expressed shock at the insensitivity of the National Assembly to issues concerning welfare of Nigerians because while members of the National Assembly were fighting against the welfare of workers, the law makers were busy appropriating cash to themselves to buy over 400 new vehicles valued at over ₦4.7 billion in addition to their over-bloated emoluments that have been a subject of public outcry.

The ASCSN stressed that Nigerian workers and their trade Unions could no longer be taken for a ride anymore because their patience on this issue of Promotion arrears had been overstretched.