SAN FRANCISCO, March 20, (THEWILL) – The Senate on Wednesday passed into law, the National Assembly Service Commission (Amendment) Bill.
The bill empowers the Commission to play key role in the appointment of the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA) as well as discipline and remove staff.
The appointment of the Clerk has been a prerogative of the President.
The Bill, which scaled Third Reading in the Senate plenary, also seeks to address the issue of stagnation of staff of the National Assembly.
The new bill, according to the chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Senator Aloysius Etok, “will address or minimise the rivalry among the core legislative staff and non-legislative staff, who work in various administrative and technical departments of the National Assembly.”
According to Etok, “This bill, with the creation of additional four directors will expand the National Assembly bureaucracy, take care of future expansion, strengthen the service and motivate staff efficiency and effectiveness.”
In a bid to strengthen the legislature, the new amendment stated that the “Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any authority or person in exercise of its duties”
Senator Etok said the Bill will primarily create capacity, enhance professionalism, open up the Commission as well as encourage the staff of the National Assembly to put in their best.
The Bill also made provision for the funding of the National Assembly Service Commission. Section 15 of the amendment stipulates that the National Assembly shall establish a fund for the National Assembly Service Commission and provision for the fund shall be made in the annual budget of the National Assembly.
Speaking on the financial implication of the amendment, considering that the National Assembly has been on a fixed budget of N150 billion per annum, Etok noted that the presiding officer will not hesitate to propose an increase when necessary.
“It was the decision of National Assembly when we were talking about cutting cost to reduce the allowances of lawmakers. If for the sake of the amendment, we have to seek increase in budget, the presiding officer will not fail to make proposal for increase because it is not a cut and nail process.
“The success of the National Assembly will impact on the success of the executive because if they fail to pass executive bills, it will affect performance generally”.
Though the amendment process began in the Fifth Assembly, it was first passed into law in the Sixth Assembly but was not assented to.
EMMA UCHE, ABUJA
