By our Correspondent
The National Assembly Thursday through its Clerk , Kamoru Ogunlana Esq, appealed to the Federal Government to review its monetization policy of non provision of accomodations for civil and public service officers .

The policy according to Ogunlana who made the appeal in Abuja while delivering his closing remarks at the end of one month training programme for Legislative Aides , has thrown legislators and aides , several miles apart in the area of accommodation and invariably , affected their efficiency in terms of service delivery.

“I am mindful of the accommodation difficulties faced by some of you, particularly those who live far from their Principals. Proximity between Members and their Legislative Aides can promote synergy, coordination and efficiency.

“This reminds me of the period when Members were accommodated at the former Apo Quarters in Abuja, where many Legislative Aides also lived close to their Principals.

“That arrangement was affected by the Federal Government’s monetisation policy.
I believe Government may wish to consider reviewing the policy, with a view to providing appropriate official accommodation for Members and personnel of the National Assembly.
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” Such an arrangement could also provide significant relief to Legislative Aides and improve coordination with their Principals”, he said .

The Clerk however assured the Legislative aides and by extension entire staff of the National Assembly and their families that quality medical services shall be provided for them from this time of next year through a world class medical centre being constructed already .

He said : ” I am also mindful of the challenges some of you face in accessing medical services.

“The National Assembly Clinic was designed primarily to cater for lawmakers, career staff and their families, and the additional demands created by Legislative Aides and their families have stretched the existing facilities.

“I am pleased to inform you that the present leadership is already addressing this challenge.

“A new, world-class medical facility is currently being developed and will be equipped with modern medical facilities and supported by experts in various fields of medicine. We expect the facility to become operational by about this time next year”.

He slso admonished them to start updating their records of service now , which would be used for payment of severance packages in view of the terminal date of the 10th National Assembly, drawing closer .

“On Your Records and Severance Benefits
As we approach the terminal date of the 10th Assembly, I enjoin you to ensure that your records of service are properly updated.

“This is necessary to enable Management to process your severance allowances efficiently when due”, he said .8

By George Mgbeleke
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for an immediate, independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of 37 Nigerians in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, declaring that the lives of poor Nigerians must not be treated as disposable.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party demanded independent autopsies, the publication of the victims’ identities and detention records, compensation for their families, and the prosecution of every official responsible for their deaths.

“Thirty-seven Nigerians entered government custody alive. Their families are now being asked to receive their bodies. This is an indictment on this government about the value of the average Nigerian life. Low income Nigerians are not disposable, and no Nigerian should lose his or her life simply because they were arrested while struggling to survive,” the party said.

The ADC expressed its condolences to the families of the deceased and insisted that their arrest during raids on mining sites did not extinguish their constitutional rights to life, dignity and due process.

“We must be clear: poverty is not a capital offence. Unemployment is not a death sentence. No accusation, whatever the case, gives any government institution the right to return citizens to their families in body bags,” the party said.

According to the ADC, the incident cannot be separated from the worsening cost-of-living and unemployment crises that have pushed millions of Nigerians into desperate and dangerous means of survival.

“The same APC-led federal government that has failed to provide jobs is now criminalising the desperation created by its own policies. Food is unaffordable, transportation has become a luxury, businesses are closing and legitimate opportunities are disappearing. Yet, rather than confront these failures, the government continues to punish the victims of its failures,” the party stated.

The ADC also accused the government of arresting poor miners while failing to expose and prosecute the powerful interests behind illegal mining and the criminal networks connected to it.

“The poor are arrested for digging to survive, while the powerful men who finance illegal mining, sponsor insecurity and cart away Nigeria’s mineral wealth remain beyond the reach of the law. The Tinubu administration has made honest work scarce, survival expensive and insecurity profitable,” it said.

“President Tinubu must decide whether Nigeria’s security institutions exist to protect citizens or punish them for being poor. Nigerians need jobs, security and justice, not an economy that impoverishes them and institutions that treat their lives as disposable,” the ADC concluded.

By David Owei,Bayelsa

Former President, Doctor Goodluck Jonathan, has called for the harmonization of structures and salaries across the Federal and State civil services in the country.

He made the call in Yenagoa during the foundation-laying and fund-raising ceremony for the Bayelsa State Association of Retired Permanent Secretaries’ Secretariat Complex.

The former President commended the retired permanent secretaries for the initiative, noting that the caliber of personnel in the Bayelsa State public service compares favorably to their counterparts at the federal level.

Doctor Goodluck Jonathan recalled how, during his tenure as Governor, he restructured the state civil service to introduce Grade Level 17 for Directors who previously retired on Level 16.

He emphasized that establishing a dedicated secretariat for the retired permanent secretaries would serve both retirees and the public, while making a strong case for uniform civil service structures nationwide.

Also, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State represented by the Head of Service, Doctor Ebiye Sawyer, pledged government support for the project, praising the retired officials for their vision and dedication.

In an address of welcome address, the Chairman of the Association, King Collins Ebi Daniel, described the proposed complex as an institutional edifice designed to embody the legacy of public service.

He explained that the center will house administrative offices, event halls, conference rooms, and recreational facilities.

King Daniel explained that the Bayelsa State Association of Retired Permanent Secretaries’ Secretariat Complex is expected to cost N500m and completed in two years’ time.

Other dignitaries at the event—including the Chairman of the occasion, Professor Imiri, a former Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Yenagoa Campus and the Chief Launcher, Chief Maxwell Oko—pledged their support, urging the association to leverage the facility as a policy institute for state and national development.

Also at the event were a traditional ruler King Amalate Turner and the Senator representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District, Senator Benson Agadaga.

High points of the ceremony included the formal foundation laying by Doctor Jonathan, a fund-raising session, and a cultural presentation by the Bayelsa State Council for Arts and Culture.