History has been made again on February 14, 2023 on the assumption of duty of the new Ag Clerk to the National Assembly CNA, Alhaji Sani Magaji Tambuwal appointed in November 2022 after the retirement of the controversial out gone CNA, Arc Amos Olatunde Ojo who inadvertently introduced an abberation stance to the system, having refused to proceed on three months holiday/retirement leave that was usually preceding retirement from public service, but preferred to be on working leave against the official norm.
The new Ag CNA, irrespective of the administrative downturn, kicked the ground running by ensuring the smooth running of the day to day activities of the National Assembly without obvious hitches.
Appointed at the thick of budget defence for 2023 , having played a leading roles towards the success story of January to December budget circle from 2019- till date, Tambuwal ensured the uninterrupted passage of the 2023 budget inline with the existing spirit and national demand.
With more than three decades experience, the new Ag CNA was already conversant with the demands of the quasi political and bureaucratic demands of the high profile office been occupied at NASS, at the administrative and top management of the legislative arm of government in Nigeria.
Confronted with series of administrative and political issues desiring urgent attention at NASS, Tambuwal kicked the ground running by combining staff welfare, training, and development as well as remunerations and entitlements of the staffers of the NASS.
He prioritized trainings and re-trainings of both staffers of the National Assembly and by extension the legislative aides as members of staffs of the legislative arm of government have attended seminars, symposiums and trainings that will improve their work performance since assumption of duty in November, 2022.
The new Ag CNA successfully hosted both local and international bodies visits to the National Assembly, including the Ghanian Parliament delegation among many others, including local workshops, talkshops and awareness seminars were he spoke on his plans to improve service delivery in the National Assembly.
The convening of constant tripartite meeting between National Assembly Service Commission NASC, National Assembly NASS and Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria PASAN, the workers union even at the current leadership status had doused the tension of frequent threats to strikes and the administrative willingness to offset outstanding salaries and allowances among many other demands when funds are available have returned normalcy, agitations and confrontation to the day to day activities of the National Assembly in the last three months.
The new Ag CNA had stepped up it’s supervisory roles of the ongoing renovation of the National Assembly complex with a view to meeting the beffiting accomodation for the Senators and Members House of Representatives in the current Assembly.
The truce approach adopted by the new Ag CNA, Sani Magaji Tambuwal particularly workers welfare and new packages as well as the outstanding ones are been resolved, as the prompt payments of salaries, allowances and minimum wage arears been offset along many others , as plans have also been concluded to attend to outstanding obligations of workers both at PASAN and National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum NASSLAF, an umbrella body of the legislative aides attached to the federal lawmakers.
With concerted efforts and determination to move the National Assembly administration forward, no doubt with the new Ag CNA, Sani Magaji Tambuwal will rejig not only the administrative and physical development, but ensured a healthy environment for both federal lawmakers, staffs and other stakeholders of the National Assembly.
All hands must be on deck to support the new leadership who had shown the administrative willingness to drive the good course that will reposition the National Assembly management.
ABUBAKAR YUSUF ,writes from Abuja and can be reached on [email protected].
