Reps Propose 70-Year Retirement Age For Lecturers

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed an amendment Bill which puts the retirement age of academic staff of universities in the professional cadre to 70 and that of non-academic to 65.

The bill also seeks to limit the tenure of principal officers to a single-term of five years.

The report of the bill which was presented for consideration by the Farouk Lawan-led Education Committee was considered by the members on the floor of the House on Wednesday and scaled through third reading yesterday.

Another Bill seeking increment of retirement age of academic staff of Polytechnics and Colleges of Education from 60 to 65 years also scaled through third reading.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities had included upper review of retirement age of university staff as one of the requirements to call off the ongoing strike.

Also at Thursday plenary, the House moved to establish a Federal Government Contingencies Fund charged with the responsibility of making funds readily available to meet unforeseen government expenditure.

Meanwhile, there are indications that the National Assembly will cut down the N921billion earmarked for Defence by President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2012 budget and pass it on to the Power sector.

The representatives had again reiterated their opposition to the proposed removal of oil subsidy policy of the executive.

Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Zakari Mohammed said at a press briefing on Thursday that lawmakers think that the allocation is too high at a time when the country wants to focus on infrastructural development.

He noted that the budget of N4.79 trillion presented by the president did not focus on agriculture and education as much as should be, and as such, the House will do the right thing by giving priority attention to those sectors.

He said, “It is not compulsory for us to take budget hook line and sinker, the defence budget is too high, we are not in war situation, we will definitely review all the ministries’ budget.

We will take from where money is loaded to other sectors where money is needed to make the economy grow.”

Speaking on the exclusion of the provision of fuel subsidy in the budget estimates, Zakari said the conspiracy of silence on the issue was unhealthy.

He however stressed that it cannot be implemented yet, as the National Assembly is yet to debate or take a stand on the issue.