Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
A Pro-Democracy group, the National Coalition Against Injustice has given the management of the National Assembly Service Commission a seven-day ultimatum to reverse the appointment of the acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr. Sani Magaji Tambuwal, or risk a legal action.
The president of the group, Mr. Abdulmojeed Adepoju who stated this at a news conference in Abuja, yesterday, explained that it was wrong of the NASC management to appoint an acting Clerk, when the substantive CNA was still in office.
The NCAI boss told journalists that Nigeria’s constitution and the NASC Act does not make provisions for the appointment of an acting Clerk when the substantive CNA is not on leave.
Adepoju said, “Sections 6(1)(b) and 12(1)(b) of the 1999 succinctly highlights the various Staff in the National Assembly and its legislative bureaucratic hierarchy.”
“The laws recognise the fact that: “the laid down precedents in the legislature worldwide subsist in line with global best practices.”
The group’s President noted that the National Assembly Service Commission, while announcing the appointments concluded that the outgoing Clerk to the National Assembly, Ojo Olatunde Amos continues to work with the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Sanj Magaji Tambuwal until his retirement date of 14th February, 2023.
NASC, according to the group, added that it was in order to ensure the success of the ongoing 2023 Appropriation Bill’s process that should be transmitted by only the substantive Clerk to the National Assembly in accordance with the provisions of the Acts Authentication Act.
He said, “It is absurd to have a substantive Clerk to National Assembly and an Acting Clerk, National Assembly at the same time to understudy the other, as it is not in conformity with the Laws of the Federation and not the intendment of the National Assembly Service Commission Act, 2014, as amended.
“This position is what we will continue to advance to ensure that there is an urgent application of the rule of law and preservation of the only symbol of our fledgling democracy, the Legislature.”
Rather than appointing an acting CNA and cause confusion in the process, the group urged the NASC to appoint the most senior officer in the National Assembly management as Deputy Clerk which is currently vacant.
Adepoju said, “Our position is that since it was the position of the Deputy Clerk, National Assembly that was initially vacant, the Clerk, Senate should have been appointed the Deputy Clerk, National Assembly and the Clerk, House of Representatives should have been appointed as the Clerk, Senate.
“Their deputies should have stepped up, as clearly spelt out in sections 6(1)(b) and 12(1)(b) of the National Assembly Service Commission Act, 2014 as amended.
“Since the appointments were made illegally, we urge President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, to wade in urgently and save the legislature and its bureaucracy.
“We will not rest until the illegality is addressed, as we are ready to proceed to court in the next seven days if this illegality and afront on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the same institution that is supposed to protect it is not corrected.”
