NASS Hosts 14,000 Workers Daily, Says Clerk

…Seeks Special Pay For Legislative Aides

The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Kamoru Ogunlana, has disclosed that the National Assembly complex accommodates more than 14,000 workers daily, excluding federal lawmakers and the large number of visitors who throng the premises.

Ogunlana, who made the disclosure on Tuesday, said the workforce comprised career civil servants and legislative aides serving the National Assembly.
He spoke at the final phase of the capacity-building training programme for legislative aides to members of the 10th National Assembly.

According to him, the huge workforce, coupled with the 469 members of the National Assembly and their visitors, makes the Nigerian Parliament one of the busiest parliamentary institutions in the world.

“No parliament in the world is as busy as the National Assembly, which has over 14,000 personnel aside from the federal legislators and their visitors, making the job of its Clerk the most demanding in terms of administrative coordination,” he said.

The CNA also disclosed that both chambers of the 10th National Assembly had passed a total of 3,500 bills within the last three years. He said the Senate accounted for 1,500 of the bills, while the House of Representatives passed 2,000.

Ogunlana, however, renewed his call for a special salary scale and improved conditions of service for legislative aides, describing them as critical components of the legislative process.

He specifically urged the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to address what he described as the need to streamline the responsibilities of both institutions in determining the remuneration and conditions of service of legislative aides.

“There is a need to streamline the responsibility of the NASC and RMAFC in determining the salaries and conditions of service of legislative aides,” he said.

The Clerk explained that while NASC was responsible for the appointment and administration of legislative aides, their remuneration operated within a framework developed and approved in conjunction with RMAFC and subject to approval by the National Assembly.

He also raised questions about the status of legislative aides, noting that although their appointments were temporary and non-pensionable, there was a need to clarify whether the positions should be regarded as full-time or part-time appointments.

“These reforms are aimed not only at improving the welfare of legislative aides, but also at strengthening their capacity to provide support to their principals,” Ogunlana said.

He stressed that any reform of the legislative support system should be geared towards building a professional service capable of attracting and retaining competent personnel.

“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,” he added.