The move by 71 disengaged officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to regain their appointment with the anti-narcotic body has suffered another setback as the National Assembly said due process was followed.

This position was made known in a letter to the Agency signed by the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa.

NDLEA was also directed to immediately proceed to pay the gratuities and pensions of the affected staff.

NDLEA Head of Public Affairs, Ofoyeju Mitchell quoted Maikasuwa as saying, ”the House of Representatives have considered the report of the Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes in respect of the Petition by 71 disengaged staff of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and resolved that having paid the three months salary in lieu of notice, the Agency should immediately proceed to pay the gratuities and pensions of the affected staff as due process has been established to have been followed”.

Mitchell said NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, had assured that the payment shall be made as soon as possible. ”The Agency‘s decision to disengage the staff is final and all outstanding payments shall be made as soon as possible,” Giade was quoted as saying.

The NA Committee, Mitchell added, had also advised the disengaged officers to seek redress in court if they still felt dissatisfied.

”Matters of employment are generally issues of contracts and where contractual agreements are disputed or seen to be breached by either party the aggrieved could go to court for redress as some of the affected retired staff had done”, Mitchell quoted the committee as saying.