Subsidy Removal: N’Assembly Launches 8 New Coaster Buses for Staff

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

As part of efforts to cushion the effect of subsidy removal, the National Assembly has launched eight new coaster buses to ease the transportation of parliamentary staff, provided by the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Magaji Tambawal.

Speaking at the handing over of the vehicles to the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, said the gesture was a demonstration of the commitment of the 10th National Assembly under the chairmanship of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in addressing the welfare of staff.

He said when the request for the provision of welfare buses came to the table of the Senate President, he did not hesitate in giving his approval given his commitment to the welfare of the parliamentary staff.

The provision of the buses was part of palliative measures to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on the staff.

This is even as the CNA has also ensured the implementation of the new N35,000 wage award for the staff of the National Assembly as part of measures to ameliorate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.

Meanwhile, a group, the Patriotic Youth Forum (PYF),  has hailed the leadership of Tambuwal, describing it as progressive and worker friendly.

The group, in a statement issued Monday, warned against attempts by some so-called civil society groups from distracting the CNA through blackmail and spurious allegations that are unfounded and misleading. 

Its National coordinator, Bamidele Adigun, and National Organising Secretary, Musa Isah, stated that since Tambuwal’s assumption of office as the CNA, there have been improvement in staff welfare.

The group noted that people should be guided by their conscience in all that they do so as not to impugn on the integrity and reputation of honest leaders, desirous for the right things to be done.

It said: “It is a fact that since Mr. Sani Magaji Tambuwal’s emergence as the CNA in November 2022 and his eventual confirmation in March this year, there has been marked improvement in staff welfare and communication with top management within the National Assembly bureaucracy.

“The payment of N3.7bn CON-PECULIAR and other outstanding entitlements within a few months in office and the upgrade of the NASS clinic with plans for the state-of-the-art equipment, easing the transportation needs of workers with eight new buses and effecting the payment of N35,000 palliative grant, from September 2023 are few of the pragmatic leadership of Mr. Tambuwal this past one year in office.

“We wish to further state that we have diligently followed his leadership and management style, it is gratifying to know and  see that all outstanding workers welfare packages and entitlements are been cleared as well as increase in trainings and retraining for all cadres of staff in the NASS service.

“It is on this note and many more, we call on Mr. Tambuwal to remain focused, accountable and ignore mischief makers and those given to blackmail and trading in spurious allegations.”