Delegates propose senators, Reps, others to work part-time

The National Conference yesterday adopted a resolution making legislative functions of senators and House of Representatives members part-time.
The delegates also agreed that House of Assembly members should function part-time.
The resolution followed the adoption of the recommendation of the report of the Conference Committee on Public Service, chaired by a former Head of Service of the Federation, Ebele Okeke.
The corollary of the resolution is that if endorsed by the Federal Government, national and state legislators will become part-time workers rather than the current full-time basis.
The delegates resolved that remunerations, including allowances of national and state lawmkaers, should be in accordance with what obtains in other countries.
The conferees also resolved that the payment of pension, life insurance and severance allowances to national and state legislators, governors and deputy governors should be cancelled.
They stressed that if done, the measure would reduce the high cost of governance in the country.
The conference agreed that people with disability should be given an allowance equivalent to the salary of Grade Level 6 officers.
The delegates adopted the proposal for the creation of a separate Foreign Service and a separate Foreign Service Commission.
The proposal that there should be no transfer from outside the civil service into the directorate cadre of the civil service was accepted. The recommendation that there should be mandatory training for promotion from Levels 12 to 17 was also adopted.
The delegates accepted that the Head of the Federal Civil Service of the Federation should only be made from the pool of permanent secretaries and same for Head of Civil Service of states.
The proposal that the civil service of the federation should operate the same set of rules and procedures with those of states was accepted by delegates.
They also accepted that State Character Commission be created.
The delegates agreed that any civil servant involved in execution of contract for pecuniary benefit should be summarily dismissed.
They agreed to make Social Health Insurance mandatory for public and private employees to grow the pool.
The delegates rejected that Social Health Insurance should be extended to states and local governments and allow the National Insurance Scheme to oversee it.