President Bola Tinubu has rejected a bill seeking to raise the retirement age for civil servants in Nigeria’s National Assembly.
The proposed bill aimed to increase the retirement age to 65 years or 40 years of service, whichever came first.
However, the president declined to sign it into law.
This decision was revealed in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s Senate session.
In his letter, President Tinubu praised the National Assembly for its thoroughness in drafting and passing the bill.
Despite this, the president stated that he chose not to sign the bill after careful consideration.
“I have decided to withhold my assent to the bill,” Tinubu wrote in the letter.
He expressed hope that his decision would be understood by the Senate and accepted by all stakeholders.
Although President Tinubu did not provide a specific reason for rejecting the bill, his decision comes amid ongoing debates about the country’s civil service system.
Currently, civil servants in Nigeria are required to retire at the age of 60 or after 35 years of service, whichever comes first.
The proposed bill aimed to change that rule for employees of the National Assembly, allowing them to work until they reached 65 years old or completed 40 years of service.
This proposal was meant to bring the retirement age of National Assembly staff in line with other sectors, such as the judiciary and academic institutions, where workers retire later than the general civil service.
But President Tinubu’s rejection means the retirement age will remain the same for now.
The president’s decision has sparked mixed reactions among lawmakers, government workers, and the public.
Some believe the current retirement rules should be upheld, while others feel that extending the retirement age could benefit the country’s legislative workforce.
The bill was previously the subject of intense debate in the Senate before it was passed.
In February, the Senate initially rejected the bill after several senators voiced concerns about its potential impact on the civil service.
One key argument against the bill was the fear that extending the retirement age would block opportunities for younger Nigerians to enter the civil service.
Some lawmakers argued that allowing older workers to stay longer could prevent fresh talent from contributing to the government.
However, after the bill was modified and a similar version was passed by the House of Representatives, the Senate eventually passed it.
Supporters of the bill had argued that it would bring stability and continuity to the National Assembly’s workforce.
They claimed that many experienced workers were being forced to retire too soon under the current rules, leading to a loss of institutional knowledge.
Senator Ali Ndume, one of the advocates of the bill, said in a previous statement, “We need to keep experienced staff in the system longer to ensure that the National Assembly continues to function effectively.”
But despite this, President Tinubu’s decision has now halted the bill’s progress.
While some National Assembly staff were hoping for the change, others have expressed relief that the current rules remain unchanged.
