84 Medical Interns Owed 7 Months Arrears by National Assembly

84 science laboratory technicians, part of the medical interns who served in the 2014/2015 batch at the National Assembly clinic, are being owed salary arrears ranging from five to seven months by the management of the National Assembly.

The management of the N’Assembly has however assured that the arrears would be gradually cleared whenever funds are available.
The interns who finished their internship in December last year were paid June and July 2015 arrears last week. Their monthly stipend which was assessed on Grade Level Eight, earning N133,950 monthly, was slashed by 50 percent to N66,975. Before the ongoing payment of two months’ arrears,  the interns were being owed for between six and eight months.
THISDAY however gathered that no official explanation has been provided to the interns for the slash in the monthly stipend.
Some of the interns who spoke to THISDAY off record explained that they worked at the N’Assembly clinic like regular staff.
“We resume at 8am, and we even do shifts at the N’Assembly clinic in Area 11 where they have beds. We were expected to work hard, and we did,” the intern said.
Another intern spoke regarding the slash in the arrears,”As we questioned the Cashier and the Accountant on why they slashed our salary contrary to the salary scale stipulated in our letters of appointment, which is also in line with the civil service entry points for the Consolidated Health Salary Scheme (CONHESS) for Interns and House Officers, they  told us: “Are you not happy you are being paid? The National Assembly does not have money”.
The Director of Information of the National Assembly, Mr. Ishaku Dibal confirmed the situation, he however added that some of the arrears are being settled.
“I spoke to the Secretary, Finance and Accounts, and he said they have started paying them. They have paid  two months arrears and the payment continues. Its being done as the funds come. We have constraints, but they will be paid,” he said.
Dibal added that the slashed arrears would be completed as soon as funds are available.