Abbas, Akpabio Sponsor Bills To Ensure Merit In NASS Clerk’s Appointment

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, and President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, have sponsored bills seeking to amend the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) Act to ensure merit and transparency in the appointment of the Clerk to the National Assembly.

Abbas disclosed this when the 5th Commission of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), led by chairman Ahmed Kadi Amshi, presented its exit report to him in Abuja on Monday.

In a statement by his special adviser on media and publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, the speaker decried the controversies that usually surround the appointment of the National Assembly clerk.

Abbas proposed that workers who have built their careers in the legislative line should head the bureaucracy of the federal legislature – the National Assembly.

He said: “One persistent challenge facing the National Assembly Service has been the lack of a well-defined succession plan. The recurring crisis surrounding the appointment of the clerk to the National Assembly and other key positions highlights the need for urgent reform. The absence of clarity in the succession plan undermines the service’s stability and efficiency. As the legislative arm of government, the National Assembly cannot afford such disruptions.

“To address this, I am pleased to inform you that the National Assembly, led by my counterpart in the Senate, His Excellency Sen. Godswill Akpabio, GCON, and I have initiated amendments to the NASC Act. These amendments streamline the qualifications and processes for appointing key officers, ensuring merit-based and transparent succession.

“Furthermore, the amendments will provide new entrants into the Service with clear guidelines on career progression, eliminating controversies surrounding promotions and aligning the scheme of service with the broader vision of the Commission and the National Assembly.”

Speaker Abbas reaffirmed the House’s steadfast commitment to fostering a strong and collaborative partnership with the NASC, saying, “As partners, we commit to fostering an efficient, productive, and professional National Assembly Service.”

He added that through collective efforts, the House would ensure that the National Assembly “continues to grow and develop to serve the evolving and complex needs (of the National Assembly) and the constituents we represent.”

The speaker noted that the presentation upholds a commendable tradition that has not only been sustained but also deepened the institutional development of the Commission over the past 25 years.

“In contrast to the Federal Civil Service Commission and the Judicial Service Commission, which have long histories and more excellent resources, the NASC has faced significant challenges.

“Nevertheless, it has made impressive progress in enhancing the institutional capacity of the National Assembly, ensuring it meets its constitutional responsibilities,” Abbas said.

He congratulated the outgoing chairman of the NASC and his team of commissioners while thanking them for their service to the National Assembly and Nigeria.

Earlier, while presenting a 13-page document to the Speaker, Amshi highlighted the NASC’s challenges and successes over the last five years.

The chairman noted that the outgoing Clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Magaji Tambuwal, would retire in five days, while the outgoing NASC board would work with the incoming Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, for only five days before the end of its tenure.