Says 3,500 bills passed by both chambers in three years; insists on special salary scale for legislative aides
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana, has disclosed that the National Assembly accommodates more than 14,000 personnel daily, comprising career civil servants and legislative aides.
According to him, the figure excludes the 469 federal lawmakers and the large number of visitors who visit the lawmakers daily, making the National Assembly one of the busiest parliamentary complexes in the world.
Ogunlana spoke in Abuja during the final phase of a capacity-building training programme for legislative aides in the 10th National Assembly.
He reiterated the need for a special salary scale for legislative aides, whom he described as critical components of the legislative process and the “engine room” of lawmaking.
Ogunlana said: “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 disclosed that both chambers of the 10th National Assembly had passed a total of 3,500 bills within the last three years.
“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,” he said.
Expressing concern that his call last year for a special salary scale for legislative aides had not received the desired response from relevant authorities, the CNA renewed his appeal to the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to address the issue.
He said there was a need to streamline the responsibilities of NASC and RMAFC in determining the salaries and conditions 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 and approved with RMAFC and is subject to approval by the National Assembly,” he said.
Ogunlana noted that while the appointment of legislative aides was temporary and non-pensionable, there was a need to clarify whether the positions should be regarded as full-time or part-time appointments.
He said the proposed reforms were aimed not only at improving the welfare of legislative aides but also at strengthening their capacity to provide effective support to lawmakers.
“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 said.
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