Saraki meets National Assembly management over late payment of aides’ salaries

The Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, hasconvened an emergency meeting with the management of the National Assembly over alleged late payment of salaries of the legislative aides of members of the legislative chamber.

Saraki convened the meeting after a brief discussion with legislative aides who were protesting the death of Hassan Abiodun, who was attached to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yussuf Sulaimon Lasun.

Abiodun died on June 9, 2017 due to complications from ruptured appendicitis, which the aides claimed was caused by his inability to pay the N165, 000 bill required for the surgery.

The aides said Abiodun’s death could have been averted if the management of the National Assembly had paid them promptly. Chief Press Secretary to the Senate President, Sanni Onogu, who briefed journalists on the development, said the meeting with the management was intended to discuss the issues raised by the protesters.

“Saraki has summoned the management of N’Assembly with the intention of resolving all the issues raised by the legislative aides,” he said. The major issue raised by the aides was that the choice of Sun Trust Bank, into which the management domiciled their salary account, was causing delay in payments.

The spokesman of the aides, Dayo Fadugba accused the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sani Omolori of having an ulterior motive over his preference for an unknown financial institution.

“From all indications, it is manifest that Sun Trust Bank does not have the capacity and infrastructure to handle the volume of transactions Omolori has foisted on them.

“Indeed, we are convinced that the decision was motivated by ulterior motive aimed at bolstering the financial standing of the microfinance bank masquerading as a commercial bank,” Fadugba said.

They demanded the payment of the outstanding quarterly duty allowances and movement of aides’ salary accounts to a commercial bank.Reacting to the development, the office of the Deputy Speaker described Abiodun’s death as sudden and shocking.

Chief of Staff to the Deputy Speaker, Bimbo Daramola said the deceased worked almost all of last week. He was supposed to join me in Ekiti for my father’s 90th birthday on Saturday. We were close enough that he asked me for anything. It was sudden and we are still mourning him,” he said.

Daramola, however, added that it was insensitive and unfair to say that Abiodun’s death was caused by the late payment of May salary.“Whoever concocted that narrative is insensitive and not fair to the memory of the young man. We are aware that his wife is due to give birth any moment from now and we will support her and the family,” he added.