Kamoru Ogunlana Esq,CNA
The Clerk to the National Assembly, CNA, Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana, on Tuesday demanded a special salary scale for legislative aides, urging the National Assembly Service Commission, NASC, and the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, to act on the matter.
Ogunlana made the call in his speech at the last phase of Capacity-Building Training for Legislative Aides in the 10th National Assembly.
He declared that the National Assembly on daily basis houses over 14,000 workforce comprising career civil servants and legislative aides.
According to him, the figure is not inclusive of the 469 federal lawmakers and the crowd of visitors who visit them daily, making the Nigeria Parliament the busiest in the world.
“No parliament in the world is as busy as the National Assembly which has over 14,000 personnel aside the federal legislators and their visitors, making the job of its Clerk, to be the most demanding in terms of administrative coordination,” he said.
Ogunlana added that “within the last three years of the 10th Assembly, a total of 3,500 bills have been passed by both chambers, 1,500 by the Senate and 2,000 by the House of Representatives.”
Apparently worried that his call for a special salary scale for legislative aides last year has not been hearkened to by relevant authorities, the CNA reiterated the call.
“There is need to streamline the responsibility of the NASC and RMAFC in determining the salaries and condition of service of legislative aides.
“NASC is the institutional authority responsible for the appointment and administration of legislative aides, while the remuneration structure operates within the framework developed/approved with RMAFC and is subject to approval by the National Assembly.
“It is settled that the appointment of legislative aides is temporary and non-pensionable, but is it a fulltime or part-time appointment?
“These reforms are aimed not only at improving the welfare of legislative aides, but also to strengthen their capacity to provide support to their principals.
“Whatever reform we undertake, the goal should remain the development of a professional legislative support service that attracts and retains the best and brightest minds, as well as individuals of exemplary character and moral probity,” the CNA stressed.
