NASS assures legislative aides of fair remuneration

The Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Sani Tambuwal, has assured the National Assembly legislative aides of meeting their demands in remuneration.

He gave the assurance in Abuja on Monday at the 2022 Induction/Orientation programme for legislative aides to senators and members of House of Representatives.

The event was organised by the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) with the theme “Basic Lawmaking Processes and Procedures for Effective and Efficient Legislative Aides Performance”.

In his remarks, Tambuwal, who underscored the role of legislative aides in lawmaking said that he would ensure that effort would be to address their welfare.

He said: “I will work hard to meet your demands. The National Assembly under my leadership is highly committed to the welfare of both staff and legislative aides.

“I will work assiduously to ensure that all demands you are pursuing with the Federal Ministry of Finance, in the shortest period will be realised.

“I want to assure you that with the support of the management of the National Assembly, I will ensure that you have an environment conducive for working to discharge your responsibility effectively”.

The acting clerk also said that the workshop was timely and apt, taking into consideration and understanding the basis of law-making processes and procedures which was among the core role of legislative aides in the legislature.

“The role of aides in the legislature revolves around analysing constitutional provisions and drafting letters.

“This shows clearly the need to undertake this induction/training programmes toward value addition to self, legislators, constituents and our dear country.

“Let me express my appreciation for the good work the commission has been doing to support the National Assembly toward delivering its mandate.

“This is because a lot has been achieved not only in area of training legislative aides but also in the recruitment, promotion and disciplining of the staff in the national assembly.

“Let me assure the commission of our unflinching loyalty and commitment to effectively serve legislators and the good people of Nigeria in the discharge of our duty.

“Our dear legislative aides and personal assistants, the task before you will surely add value to self and country.

“Kindly take advantage and privilege of this training and ensure that you are not left behind.

“I hope and pray that at the end of the induction, the National Assembly will witness a great improvement in the services toward better legislative processes, procedures and democratic development of Nigeria,” he said.

NASC Executive Chairman Ahmed Amshi said that the commission had, over time, taken the issue of training and retraining to develop the capacity of staff and personal aides to lawmakers.

“This is because we have the believe that in law-making, it is not the lawmakers that always prepare the laws, it is you, aides, that prepare everything for the lawmakers.

“The lawmakers are so busy. They hardly have time to go through the laws, it is you, the legislative aides that have to go through every processes of law making.

“This is to enable your principals to be equipped to stand in the assembly and deliberate on the processes of law-making in the assembly,” he observed.

Amshi who was represented by Sen. Abubakar Tutare, a commissioner, however, assured the aides of conducting the workshop more than once in a year.

Mrs Hannatu Ibrahim, one of the staff and the acting Chairperson, Training for National Assembly Legislative Aides (NASLAF), said that the training would make them to perform their duties effectively.

She also appealed to the management of National Assembly to ensure that issues of staff welfare were giving priority.