No Extension, No Exceptions: 30 Top National Assembly Officials Forced To Retire 

No Extension, No Exceptions: 30 Top National Assembly Officials Forced To Retire

At least 30 senior officials, including the Clerk of the National Assembly, Magaji Tambawal, are set to retire following President Bola Tinubu’s rejection of a bill seeking to extend their tenure. Tambawal, who began his pre-retirement leave on November 1, 2024,.……CONTINUE READING 

delegated his responsibilities to Deputy Clerk Kamouroudeen Ogundele. Scheduled to officially retire in February 2025, he will refrain from duties until then.

Tambawal took office as Acting Clerk in November 2022 and was confirmed in March 2023. An internal document shows other notable departures, including the Clerk to the Senate, Chinedu Akabueze, the Deputy Clerk to the Senate, and the Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives. Additional retirees include 11 directors, six deputy directors, one assistant director, and two other directors from the National Assembly Service Commission.

President Tinubu recently declined to sign a bill aimed at extending parliamentary staff’s tenure. The bill proposed raising the retirement age to 65 or allowing 40 years of service, in contrast to the current retirement age of 60 or 35 years of service. First introduced in the 7th Assembly and reintroduced in subsequent Assemblies, the bill was approved by the House in December 2023 and by the Senate in March 2024 but ultimately failed to secure the President’s signature.

This decision has led to a significant wave of retirements, with many directors expected to step down between October and December and additional retirements anticipated next year. A source noted that numerous staff joined the commission when the National Assembly began in 1991-1992, reaching retirement age or service limits around this time.

Some staff will retire in batches, with 20 to 30 additional personnel expected to leave in January 2025. Many are reportedly concerned about the impact on institutional knowledge, with one senior official questioning the preparedness of new staff to fill the void left by experienced members.

A confidential source reported that the total number of retirees between January and December 2024 stands at 46, much lower than earlier estimates.