NASS: Tension over Acting Clerk's 18-man panel to train Senators, Reps

• Published date: 21 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

Acold war is brewing between the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Mallam Sani Magaji Tambuwal, and the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) over a curious 18-man committee set up to train Senators and members of the House of Representatives for the 10th National Assembly.

Neither of the two parties appears ready to concede to the other on the management of the programme.

The Acting Clerk to the National Assembly has opted for a new committee to conduct the training instead of allowing the NILDS do it as statutorily mandated.

In effect, civil servants in the National Assembly will now conduct the training of the new lawmakers.

Investigation revealed that the decision to strip NILDS of the mandate to induct and train lawmakers was taken on January 9, 2023 without the approval of the National Assembly leadership.

It was gathered that the Acting Clerk shunned warnings by some management staff of the National Assembly that civil servants do not have the capacity to orientate the new lawmakers.

Findings confirmed that the Clerk raised the 18-man committee on January 10, 2023, including two slots allocated to NILDS on the team.

Members of the committee are the Clerk to the Senate; Clerk to the House of Representatives; Secretary Legal Services; Secretary, Inter-Parliamentary Relations; Secretary, Procurement and Supplies; Secretary, Health Services; Secretary, Estate and Works; Acting Secretary, Human Resources and Staff Development; Acting Secretary, Finance and Accounts; Acting Secretary, Research and Information; Acting Secretary, Special Duties; Acting Secretary Planning and Legislative Budget; two representatives of the Secretary, National Assembly Service Commission (NASC); and two officers from the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) from the rank of Assistant Director and Director. Senate Table Duties will serve as Member/Secretary

Among others, the committee is expected to do the following:

Planning and coordinating orientation/induction programme for the 10th National Assembly.

Preparing a detailed budget on the financial implication for conducting the...