On assumption of duty , the Clerk to the National Assembly, CNA, Barrister Kamorudeen Ogunlana promised not only to restore and activate due process in the National Assembly ,but improved the welfare of staffers.
One year down the line, Kamoru has commenced the process of prioritizing staff welfare in earnest without further delay .
With two categories of workers at the National Assembly consisting the core staff who are civil servants and Legislative Aides attached to the 469 members of the lower and upper chamber.
Aside staff welfare , the inception of Barrister Kamorudeen Ogunlana discontinued the incessant strikes and threat of strikes both from the staff of the National Assembly and Legislative Aides, unlike what was obtainable in the previous leadership of the management of the National Assembly.
Training and retraining of both categories of staffers has been in earnest ,with a view to preparing them for legislative challenges , primary assignments, adhocs, plenaries as well oversights and constituency projects.
These among many others has streamlined the activities of the workers with regular benefits and enhanced payments at all levels.
The CNA who asserted not privy to undue influence and advantages, lobbying , untoward activities from workers , promised to remain firm ,neutral and unbiased while carrying out his official engagements.
This declaration at many fora has not only brought sanity to the National Assembly, but improved productivity, hardwork and dedication to duty.
This also led to the declaration at a three day capacity building for legislative aides, that the National Assembly is considering the introduction of different salaries and structure for aides of Federal lawmakers going forward.
The moves according to pundits was in good light/fate and part of reward system been contemplated by the management of the National Assembly under Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana as Clerk to the National Assembly, CNA.
According to the CNA, the moves was part of the ongoing reforms aimed at improving service delivery, performance, dedication to duty and also performance of Federal lawmakers.
While insisting that aides are political appointees with the current conditions of service based on civil service rules ,the need to create professionalism among the rank and file is germane, to encourage continuity.
Alhough , with the peculiar nature of their jobs, Ogunlana maintained that lack of job security, with tenure tied to their principals is archaic and no longer feasible, stating that rankings not based on competence or qualifications is a grave anomaly that needed to be redeemed and redressed.
Worsened by the absence of an enabling and comprehensive law defining the duties of different cadres of legislative aides ,militated against their operations and engagements ,making them vulnerable to the service and their principals.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, CNA ,while hoping to redress the situations stated that proposal is already at top gear to the National Assembly Service Commission,NASC, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMFAC, for a consideration of a distinct salary structure and conditions of service that is tandem with the new order and their jobs.
While insisting on the review of appointment criteria before the intervention of NASC and RMFAC, Ogunlana noticed the erratic nature of employment of legislative aides without lay down procedures, far away from the current dispensation, so as to attract competent personnel, cogent conditions of service that will discourage lawmakers from hiring and firing.
He observed the unethical and practices were by lawmakers disengage legislative aides at will , as that will not augur well for the development of a sane service rules for the Assembly.
Kamoru a technocract who rose through the cadre of office to become Clerk to the National Assembly resumed in 2024, with a promise to ensure massive reformation.
The current strides to improve and restructure the condition of service of Legislative Aides will improve productivity, hardwork, dedication to duty and reduce to the barest minimum fraud, forgery and impersonation by the staffers to both green and red chamber lawmakers.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
