The last may not have been heard of the drama in the Senate over the refusal by the Clerk to Senate, Dauda Ibrahim el-Ladan, to leave his office bag and baggage, following his retirement by the National Assembly Service Commission, NASC.
THE CONCLAVE reported on Tuesday that el-Ladan’s retirement was due to alleged age falsification and other forgery of documents of his service years.
Two others were sanctioned by the NASC. They were Adebayo Anthony Adebanjo, who was directed by the NASC to proceed on retirement with immediate effect, and Michael Okpara who was directed to retire in six months’ time.
A letter of retirement from service, issued by the Commission, which was dated February 9, 2022 was addressed to el-Ladan to consummate his disengagement from service.
The original copy of the letter, which was signed by the Executjve Chairman of the NASC, Engineer Ahmed Kadi Amshi, was collected and signed for on el-Ladan’s behalf by one Roseline Momodu on February 11, 2022.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, CNA, was copied in the letter as Head of Service of the National Assembly-the management wing.
Read the letter: “The Commission at its 547th meeting held on Wednesday, 9th February, 2022, has approved your retirement from service with effect from 9th February, 2022.
“The Commission wishes to acknowledge your immense contribution to the growth and development of the National Assembly Service.
“As you proceed on retirement, please hand over your office and other government property in your possession to the Deputy Clerk, Senate (Legislative), Ilobah Isabella Ugochi.
“On behalf of the Commission, I pray the Almighty God will continue to grant you good health and success in your future endeavours.”
THE CONCLAVE had reported that despite having been retired, el-Ladan presided at the table in Senate Plenary on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, five days after he was retired, a development that provoked anger and shock in the National Assembly.
el-Ladan had blocked Ilobah Isabella Ugochi, his deputy from stepping in the saddle as acting Clerk of the Senate.
THE CONCLAVE learnt that whereas Ugochi might not have received a letter from the NASC appointing her as acting Clerk to the Senate, her elevation was expressly stated in the letter of el-Ladan’s retirement from service.
Sources familiar with the development hinted that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan,, as of press time, had yet to be formally notified or informed of el-Ladan’s retirement.
This, according to an inside source, might have accounted for the decision by the Senate President to allow el-Ladan, the retired Clerk of the Senate to preside at the table in plenary on Tuesday.
However, there was a conspiracy theory that had been thrown into the mix, which was to the effect that el-Ladan’s continuous stay in the office as Clerk of the Senate might have been intentional and derived from support by some influential senators.
A National Assembly staff member said the retired Clerk to the Senate, who is from Katsina State, may be enjoying the backing of some northern senators to stay put in office.
It was learnt that the group was working to ensure el-Ladan was either preserved or given a soft landing; otherwise, the process of interdiction in the National Assembly workforce should be comprehensive.
There are many top management staff members whose hands are in the cookie jar and therefore would have to be purged in the spirit if fairness.
Meanwhile, the process by the NASC of cleaning the Augean stables in the National Assembly may be legally encumbered as affected staff members seem to be going the route of the court.
For instance, it was gathered that Adebayo Anthony Adebanjo, Permanent Secretary Special Duties, who was purportedly retired with immediate effect, has headed to the court against the commission’s directive to proceed on retirement.
He was said to have obtained an interlocutory injunction restraining the NASC and the Nationsl Assembly management from giving effect to the directive by the NASC for him to proceed on retirement.
He was said to have specifically asked for an order of court for status quo ante bellum to be maintained.
There were feelers that the Senate President, who does not entertain impunity, would do the needful once the procedures and processes for rejigging the Senate Clerk table were followed.
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