Protest over Death of Deputy Speaker’s Aide

Saraki summons N’Assembly management over late payment of salaries

Damilola Oyedele

Legislative aides in the National Assembly yesterday protested the death of one their colleagues, Mr. Hassan Abiodun, attached to the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yussuff Sulaimon Lasun.

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

The aides clad in black, said Abiodun’s death could have been averted if he was not owed by the management.

Following the protest, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has summoned the management of the National Assembly over the late payment of salaries of the legislative aides of 109 Senators and 360 House of Representatives members.

Saraki, who is also Chairman of the National Assembly, summoned the management in order to resolve the issues.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Senate President, Mr. Sanni Onogu, briefing journalists, said the meeting with the management was to discuss the issues raised by the protesters.

“The Senate President has summoned the management of National Assembly with intention to resolving all the issues raised by the legislative aides,” he said.

The major issue raised by the aides was that the choice of a bank, to domicile their salary account was causing late payments.

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

“From all indications, it is manifest that the bank does not have the capacity and infrastructure to handle the volume of transaction the CNA has foisted on them. Indeed we are convinced that the decision is motivated by ulterior motive aimed at bolstering the financial standing of the microfinance bank masquerading as a commercial institutions,” Fadugba said.

He added that the aides just received their May salaries on Monday.

Listing the demands of the aides, Fadugba called for the payment of the outstanding quarterly duty allowances, and movement of aides salary accounts to a ‘proper bank’.

Reacting to the development, the office of the Deputy Speaker described Abiodun’s death as sudden and shocking.

The Chief of Staff to the Deputy Speaker, Hon. 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 mourning,” he said.

Daramola however, added that it was insensitive and unfair, to say the 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 his wife is due to give birth any moment from now and we will support her and the family,” Daramola added.