NASS, NILDS push for administrative autonomy in States’ Assemblies - AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

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Monday, August 6, 2018

NASS, NILDS push for administrative autonomy in States’ Assemblies

Prof. Ladi Hamalai, D-G, NILDS as NASS push for administrative autonomy in states
In a bid to make the recently passed financial autonomy more effective, the National Assembly has commenced push to enshrine administrative autonomy in state Houses of Assembly.
This was the main advocacy at a workshop organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) for members of the State Houses of Assembly.
The conference tagged: Two-Day Conference For State Houses of Assembly on Operating Within The Context Of First Line Charge”, was organized for members of the 36 houses of Assembly.
In her Welcome remarks, the Director General of NILDS, Prof, Ladi Hamalai told the lawmakers that there cannot be effective financial autonomy without the establishment of a service commission.
She explained that for the legislature in the states to be truly autonomous, they must be fully responsible for all the affairs that concern them.
With particular reference to the principles of separation of power, she said that the legislature could not be said to be independent if the executive arm was still in charge of employing and deploying staff members of the legislature.
“We must all pass the Act establishing the Service Commission, it is part of the principles of separation of power.
She said that the financial was a good stepping stone for the legislature in states, but stress that there was still a long way to go after the autonomy had been well domesticated.
Reiterating the role of service commission in effective autonomy, the Secretary of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) Mr Olu Ajakaye, said that without administrative autonomy.
He recalled that the period of financial dependence was very torturous as the legislature had to always go cap in hand to the executive anytime they had a programme or project.
He therefore admonished the lawmakers that they must also push for administrative autonomy and take over the management of their staff if they must reap the benefit of the financial autonomy recently granted them.
“This financial autonomy would be incomplete without administrative autonomy: a situation in which the employees of the state assembly are controlled by the state civil service commission does not aurgur well for the autonomy of the legislature.
“It is on this note that ‘I call on all states that are yet to establish their state service commission to do so immediately.
“We must try and distinguish the legislative service by also entrenching he nomenclatures that are peculiar to the legislative service.
“Today the legislature has its own unique concepts, norms practices and procedures.
“Therefore we must imbibe our own structure in line with our procedures. Many secretaries of commissions or clerks of assemblies prefer to be addressed as permanent secretaries.
“The earlier we drop the civil service hangovers, the better for the legislative service. This will not only create an identity for the service but will also make the service robust and enviable,” he said.
He commended the efforts of the DG NILDS for her ‘pragmatism’ in convening the conference and other relevant conferences.
Declaring the conference open, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani Omolori however cautioned the lawmakers to handle the autonomy with responsibility.
He said that the financial autonomy was not an avenue for the legislature to become financially reckless, stressing that any form of misappropriation would be treated as an act of corruption.
He therefore urged all lawmakers to endeavor to declare their assets before assuming office.
(NAN)

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