By Saminu Ibrahim
The Director of Public Affairs of the National Assembly, Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, has assured that the management of the National Assembly would continue to prioritise the welfare of staff as part of reform efforts to increase productivity.
He noted that the National Assembly management has continued to ensure the payment of the salaries of its staff between 24th and 25th of every month, assuring that the Clerk to Assembly was determined to ensure that the progress made so far is sustained and continuously improved upon.
According to EPARLIAMENT reports, Danzaria spoke in a telephone interview.
He revealed that as part of the NASS management efforts to ensure that all staff of the Assembly work in a safe and secured environment, the entire complex has already been fumigated and decontaminated against the coronavirus, and any other virus that may pose any danger to staff, parliamentarians and visitors to the complex.
“Staff welfare is top priority for the management. In fact, on April salary, our staff started receiving their salaries since Thursday this week.
“We made all the necessary arrangement with Sun Trust Bank to ensure that our staff were paid their salaries seamlessly even while they are at home,” Danzaria said.
Indeed staffers of the National Assembly (NASS) have applauded the leadership and management for matching words with action as it affects the payment of salaries and general welfare of workers of the parliament, despite the negative effect of the current coronavirus outbreak.
Some staffers of the National Assembly who pleaded anonymity, appreciated the efforts the both the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Sani Omolori for their concerted efforts in ensuring that salaries and other welfare issues were insulated from any shocks that the coronavirus pandemic may cause.
It would be recalled that President of the Senate and the Speaker of House of Representatives have held several joint and separate meeting with various stakeholders in the federal government’s led fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the critical areas the leadership has intervened include the persecution of Nigerians in China, improving electricity supply to Nigerians while the lockdown lasts, the expansion to accommodate more vulnerable Nigerians in the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) component of the Federal Government’s Social Investment Programme (SIP) as well as giving legal framework to various emergency intervention programmes of the federal government.
The National Assembly was shut down by the management on March 24th as a precautionary measure to forestall a possible spread of the coronavirus to the expansive complex.
Only top management staff, medical staff and others on essential services are currently allowed into the complex.
