A civil society organisation, Africa Media Roundtable Initiatives (AMRI) has asked the court to nullify the appointment of the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Arc Amos Olatunde Ojo and others.
The group further seeks order of the court to declare as null and void the actions taken by the Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission, Ahmed Amshi leading to the retirement of Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori as the Clerk of National Assembly and subsequent appointment of Arc Ojo in acting capacity.
In an originating summons filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday, the group says the appointment of Arc Ojo and others is in violation of sections 6, 8 and 12 of the National Assembly Service Commission acts, 2014, section 51 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and regulation 02809 of the National Assembly staff regulation, 2019.
AMRI insisted that the Resolution of the joint session of the eighth National Assembly on Conditions of Service gazetted in the National Assemby Service staff regulations, 2019 cannot be set aside by the chairman of National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) through a press statement.
The group further wonders why the retirement age of 65 stipulated by Regulation 02809 of National Assembly Service Staff regulations 2019, an official gazette of Federal Republic of Nigeria can be jettisoned through a press statement by Amshi.
The group through its counsel, Damilare Adeyemi prayed the court to declare as illegal and invalid the press statement issued by Ahmed Amshi which led to the retirement of Sani-Omolori and others, insisting that it is in violation of section 6 of the National Assembly Service Act, 2014.
It further maintained that the press statement issued by the National Assembly Service Commission chairman, Ahmed Amshi cannot supercede a Resolution of the joint session of the National Assembly and gazetted.
AMRI urged the court to validate the compulsory retirement age for all officers of all grades in the service which it says is 65 years or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever comes first in line with Regulation 02809 of the National Assembly Service Staff Regulations, 2019.
