A storm is brewing within the National Assembly as members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) have strongly opposed a proposed bill seeking to repeal the National Assembly Service Pension Board (Establishment) Act, 2023.
The bill, currently before the legislature, aims to return staff of the National Assembly to the controversial Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) — a move PASAN describes as “callous, deceptive, and dangerously retrogressive.”
The 2023 Act, which was passed just over a year ago, was widely hailed as a landmark reform tailored to address the unique realities of legislative service. It offered improved retirement benefits, financial clarity, and institutional autonomy for the legislative arm in line with the 1999 Constitution. According to PASAN, the Act restored dignity to retired staff and corrected years of hardship caused by the CPS.
In a strongly worded presentation during a public hearing, PASAN warned that repealing the Act would reverse hard-won progress, subject retirees to renewed suffering, and plunge the pension system into chaos.
“This bill is not a reform — it is a betrayal. It would condemn loyal staff to a life of poverty and premature death,” the union stated.
Among the many concerns raised, PASAN cited at least 14 critical reasons why the bill must be thrown out. These include “attempting to retroactively alter retirement benefits contravenes Sections 173(1) and (2) of the Constitution.
“Ambiguous language: The bill’s use of vague terms like “as and when due” creates room for abuse and delays in payment.
“Elimination of benefits: Provisions such as 500% terminal benefit and annual medical allowances stand to be wiped out.
“Discriminatory clauses: Middle-level officers would be unfairly affected, while retirees are excluded from Board representation.
“Deletion of penalties: The removal of a clause requiring fund remittance within 72 hours raises fears of corruption and fund mismanagement.
“Reintroduction of a failed system: The CPS, which the 2023 Act repealed, is widely seen as exploitative and unreliable.”
PASAN also slammed the proposal to drastically slash retirement benefits from 800% to 300%, calling it an “unjustifiable insult” to career legislative officers who served for decades.
Many retirees and serving staff have expressed deep anxiety over the bill, describing it as a cruel attempt to erode the gains of the past year.
“They want us to die poor, after decades of loyal service. This bill is driven by interests that do not represent us,” one retired senior legislative staff member told reporters on the sidelines of the hearing.
The union further accused lawmakers and National Assembly management of hypocrisy, noting that some senior officials continue to enjoy lifetime salaries and privileges, even as they push to slash benefits for staff who carried the burden of legislative work.
PASAN is calling on all stakeholders — including civil society, labour unions, and the Nigerian public — to stand against what it describes as “an assault on justice, dignity, and institutional memory.”
“This is not just about pensions. It is about whether workers in Nigeria can ever trust their government to honour service with dignity,” the group declared.
The National Assembly is expected to review the submissions in the coming days. As the debate rages on, the fate of thousands of current and retired legislative workers hangs in the balance.
