Reps step down NASS pension board Bill

A Bill seeking to establish National Assembly Service Pension Board was on Wednesday stepped down by the House of Representatives.

The Bill sought to automatically exclude the national assembly service from the contributory pension scheme.

The bill was scheduled on the Order Paper for third reading before some members of the committee’s objected to the passage.

Rep. Bamidele Salam, the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Pension had raised objection on the bill for failing to pass through a public hearing.

Bamidele and other members of the committee said that no public hearing was conducted on the bill which was contrary to the House rules.

Contributing, Rep. Cook Olododo (SDP-Kwara) said members of the committee were not at the plenary to object the decision of the house when the bill was committed to the committee of the Whole by the presiding officer.

He said some of the lawmakers had gone for their parties primaries in their states.
Deputy Speaker Idris Wase, who presided over plenary when the Bill was committed to the committee of the Whole faulted members for not adhering to the 60 days rule.

According to him, the committee was discharged from conducting public hearing 60 days after it failed to turn in report on the establishment of the National Assembly service pension board.

The Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, however called on the members to tread with caution in passing such a legislation without input from necessary stakeholders.

Gbajabiamila said the committee wrote to him asking for fund to conduct public hearing, but added that at the time, there was no fund to give the committee.
The Speaker stepped down the bill ,while calling for further consultation.