N’Assembly Clerk Warns Against Lobbying for Promotions, Cites Risk of Legal Battles

The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, has warned against lobbying and external interference in the promotion of legislative staff, insisting that appointments and career advancement must be based on merit, competence, experience and performance.

Ogunlana cautioned that promotions influenced by considerations outside established regulations could expose the National Assembly Service to legal challenges, administrative embarrassment and institutional instability.

He spoke on Saturday in Abuja at the opening of a three-day retreat for top management officials of the National Assembly and the National Assembly Service Commission at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

According to him, staff appointments, promotions and professional development must comply with the National Assembly Service Act 2014 and the applicable Scheme of Service.

Ogunlana stressed that the National Assembly Service was a professional institution that required qualified personnel to occupy positions based on their capacity to deliver effectively.

He warned that prioritising considerations such as an individual’s place of origin over seniority, relevant experience and competence could undermine the institution’s efficiency.

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“When seniority, cognate experience and competence are subordinated to ‘where you come from’ or other considerations, we may find ourselves with positions occupied by people who do not possess the requisite competence, experience or capacity for those responsibilities,” he said.

He added that such practices could create an institution with too many people occupying positions but too few possessing the skills and experience required to perform effectively.

The clerk further warned that the consequences of irregular appointments and promotions could extend beyond the individuals involved to affect the entire National Assembly Service.

On staff development, Ogunlana called for an end to the existing ad hoc training arrangements, describing them as unsustainable amid limited financial resources.

He advocated greater use of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), an institution affiliated with the National Assembly, as the central platform for training and developing legislative personnel.

According to him, continuous training is necessary to equip staff with the knowledge and skills required to meet the demands of modern parliamentary administration.

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He identified legislative practice, parliamentary procedure, policy analysis, research, digital technologies, public financial management, ethics, leadership and emerging global practices as key areas requiring sustained professional development.

“The present ad hoc arrangement of training personnel of service is not sustainable given our limited financial resources,” he said.

Ogunlana maintained that leveraging NILDS would help the National Assembly make better use of available resources while providing specialised training tailored to the needs of its workforce.

In his goodwill message, the Executive Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission, Saviour Enyiekere, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to building a disciplined, competent, responsive and forward-looking legislative service.

Enyiekere said the commission would continue to promote merit, uphold due process, prioritise staff welfare and encourage personnel to contribute meaningfully to institutional development.

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, were represented at the event.

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