Group Condemns fight between sitting Clerks of National Assembly

Paschal Emeka, Abuja

Coalition of Civil Society Organization for Justice and Equity (CCSO-JE) on Friday condemned the in-fighting between sitting Clerks of National Assembly saying they would challenge the situation if it is not resolved immediately.

Convener of the Coalition, Olayemi Success condemned the Clerks, at a press conference adding that the law and bureaucracy in appointing Clerks to the National Assembly were clear.

Flanked by its National Secretary, Dahiru Mustapha, the group argued that the conundrum was the handiwork of cabals within the National Assembly who would go to any length to hold onto power.

They expressed fears that the National Assembly which is the symbol of democracy may be rubbished by those who are power-drunk, adding that the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) as the administrative arm appointed a substantive Clerk to the National Assembly in line with the extant laws.

The group’s position was against the backdrop of the appointment of Mr Sani Magaji Tambuwal after the tenure expiration of Arch. Amos Olatunde Ojo.

Ojo has proceeded on terminal leave till February 14 from where he will retire officially after serving for 35 years in government service.

According to the group: “We all may recall that not too long ago, precisely on the 18th of November, 2022, the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), exercised its power derivable from Section 6(b) of its Act, by announcing fresh appointments into the topmost cadre of the bureaucracy of the National Assembly.

“The major fallout of the above was the appointment of Sani Magaji Tambuwal, as the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly and the filling of other vacant top management positions.

“What prompted the press conference of today, is the ugly fact that few desperate and ambitious top management staff of the National Assembly, with the active support of a retired Clerk to the National Assembly, who had wished to be favoured by the recent decision taken by the Ahmed Kadi Amshi led National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), have gone to town with manufactured tales, specifically tailored to rubbish the image, integrity and names of members of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC).”

They noted that the public is being misled, fearing that the development may lead to chaos, saying they were out to speak and put the situation in proper perspective.

The cabal behind the existence of two sitting Clerks, the said, are within the National Assembly wanting to hold the bureaucracy of the National Assembly to ransom; and have not only constituted themselves into a revolving door of mischief, confusion and anarchy but have turned their privileged membership of the management team of the National Assembly into a ruthless weapon, to wage a war of attrition in the name of fighting for the position of ‘Clerk’ to the National Assembly.