Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has stepped down A Bill for a Law to Make Provision for A Contributory Pension Scheme for Employees in the Public Service of Nasarawa State and For Other Matters Connected Therewith, Leadership reports.
This followed a protest by organised labour to the Assembly complex located on Shendam Road, Lafia, yesterday, over the bill which they described as “anti-workers.”
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“This Bill is anti-workers we can’t allow it to stand”, “Workers were not involved in processing the bill” and “House Why the Haste to Pass the Bill”, their placards read.
The speaker, Hon Balarabe Abdullahi had to step down the bill when the House resumed its plenary to give opportunity for the labour leaders to also make input.
” A Bill for a Law to Make Provision for A Contributory Pension Scheme for Employees in the Public Service of Nasarawa State is very critical to the lives of our public servants in the state.
” This bill requires the contributions/inputs of stakeholders such as NLC, pensioners among other stakeholders in order to add their voices on the bill.
” We need to call for a public hearing and the time now is too short for us, we will step down the bill. This bill is hereby stepped down till 7th Assembly,” he said.
The speaker assured public servants and other stakeholders of the assembly’s commitment to get their inputs on the bill.
The organised labour including pensioners in Nasarawa State besieged the Assembly complex as early as six o’clock in the morning to register their grievances over the bill.
They reportedly disrupted free flow of traffic and caused gridlock on the popular Shendam Road which also hosts the state’s seat of power and the judiciary complex as they march to the Assembly.
The state chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ismaila Oko said the haste to pass the bill was unnecessary, especially as there were unresolved issues on the document.