National Assembly:presiding officers are to reduce the number of their aides by at least 60 percent

The National Assembly management has requested the presiding officers to reduce the number of their aides by at least 60 percent

The Senate President Bukola Saraki has over 112 aides, Speaker Yakubu Dogara has about 170, deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu 60 while deputy speaker, Yusuf Suleiman Lasun has 58 aides.

Sources said that Saraki and Dogara have been requested to cut down the numbers to 25 each while Ekweremadu and Lasun should have 17 each. The aides are in three categories – special advisers (SAs), senior special assistants (SSAs) and special assistants whose salaries range between N700,000 to over a million naira each.

It was learnt that about two weeks ago, over N10 billion was paid as severance package to Senate and House legislative aides that served in the 7th assembly. The severance pay was 300 percent of their annual basic salary.