…Seeks special salary scale for legislative aides, says 3,500 bills passed in 3 years

The Clerk to the National Assembly, Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana, has said the National Assembly houses over 14,000 workers daily, excluding the 469 federal lawmakers and the crowd of visitors who troop in for legislative business.

Ogunlana disclosed this on Tuesday at the final phase of the Capacity-Building Training for Legislative Aides in the 10th National Assembly in Abuja.

He described the National Assembly as the busiest parliament in the world, noting that the 14,000 workforce comprises career civil servants and legislative aides.

“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 said a total of 3,500 bills have been passed by both chambers in the last three years of the 10th Assembly, with 1,500 by the Senate and 2,000 by the House of Representatives.

Ogunlana reiterated his call for a special salary scale for legislative aides, describing them as a critical component of the engine room of lawmaking.

He urged the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to streamline responsibilities in determining the salaries and conditions of service for 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.

He explained that while NASC is responsible for the appointment and administration of legislative aides, their remuneration operates within the framework developed and approved by 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 full-time or part-time appointment?” he asked.

According to him, the proposed reforms are aimed at improving the welfare of legislative aides and strengthening their capacity to support 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,” Ogunlana said.

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