The assumption of duty of Clerk to the National Assembly CNA, Sani Magaji Tambuwal after the retirement of the previous occupant, Arc Olatunde Ojo, had been laced with one success story to the other, particularly the welfare of members of the National Assembly and development of staff of the Assembly.
One year down the line , the welfare packages and capacity building of the staffers of the National Assembly to confront with the growing demands and supports to both the red and green chamber as well as the bureaucracy of the Assembly had been enhanced.
Tambuwal whose assumption was greeted with alot of enthusiasm and promises , is living above board as all outstanding arears of salaries and allowances of staff of the National Assembly including the legislative aides of Senators and House of Representatives members was duly offset as promised, during the leadership of the 9th Assembly when he came on board.
The Clerk to the National Assembly CNA embarked on major reforms by rejigging and refocusing all the departments through constant in house training and retraining, with a view to conform with the current trend and support to leadership and members of the National Assembly.
He embarked on a weeklong maiden workshop for both returning and new lawmakers of the 10th Assembly, to acquaint them on the intricacies of their new assignment of lawmaking, oversights, plenary, committees, among many other statutory functions.
In conjunction with National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies NILDS, going by the crop of new members of the 10th Assembly with a low percentage of 40% percent returning and 60% new ones both at the red and green chamber, the need for constant capacity building of the lawmakers was sustained, as both houses had embarked on series of in- house training by NASS among many others.
The recent acquisition of high capacity buses to ameliorate transport problems that was compounded by the removal of petroleum subsidy was laudable by the Sani Magaji Tambuwal leadership of the National Assembly bureaucracy.
The Clerk , conscious with the reaction of Nigeria workers with National Assembly workers not left behind after the removal of subsidy, the proactive decisions of providing buses for staff scattered around six area councils and across the FCT recently launched brought alot of relief and succour to the National Assembly staff with ease of transportation.
The positive development resulted in the smooth deliberation and passage of the 2023 supplementary appropriation budget as well as ratification of the 2024 budget proposal that had sustained the January to December budget circle.
The regular payment and settlement of yearly entitlements of the members of staff of the National Assembly of all categories also facilitated the smooth activities of the Assembly in 2023 and resumption of duty in the new year for 2024.
For Sani Magaji Tambuwal, his bureaucratic and technocratic experience garnered over the years is not only paying off, but had stabilized and repositioned the activities of the National Assembly under his leadership.
Written By ABUBAKAR YUSUF, A Public Affairs Analyst on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
