Akpabio To National Assembly Service Commission: Be Firm In Enforcing Your Laws

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has admonished the National Assembly Service Commission(NASC) to always be firm in the enforcement of its laws in the discharge of its statutory functions.

Akpabio gave the charge on Monday when the out-going Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission, Engr. Ahmed Kadi Amshi and members of the Commission paid him a farewell visit and to present their exit report.

The Senate President expressed his displeasure at the incessant disregard of the provisions of the enabling laws by some top officials of the National Assembly who, at one time or the other, demonstrated reluctance to disengage from the service at the end of their tenure as prescribed by the laws.

Akpabio said if the Commission had engaged in constant consultations with the Presiding Officers of the Assembly, most of the observed lapses would have been forestalled or addressed.

Addressing the out-going Chairman and commissioners, the Senate President said: “We have noticed serious reluctance on the part of the Clerk of the National Assembly to vacate office when the constitutional end of his tenure had elapsed.

“We have also noticed lethargy on the part of the Commission to enforce the constitutional provisions that any one who has served for 35 years or attained the age of 60 should vacate office.

“Sometimes you are afraid to enforce the law. But that is what you should do. You should enforce the law.

“You see people coming to me to say someone extended his tenure by some months. There was even one that they said overstayed for almost one year and they had to get the Police to lock his office.

“Others are saying we must have an extension of five years by all means after all, they have extended for Judges and Professors of University.

“That kind of derailed their vision, and brought unnecessary politics into the system because we now have Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria(PASAN) being divided into two. Those who support tenure elongation and those who do not support tenure elongation. So they make them to fight.

“I believe that unnecessary politicisation of the tenures of your staff are due to action and inaction of the National Assembly Service Commission because if you were firm and applied the provisions of the Act to the letter, nobody will dare to stay one hour longer.

“I’m aware that sometimes you give people letters to go on terminal leave and even say they should hand over to someone, they ignore you and you don’t do anything about it. You continue as if it doesn’t matter. It does matter because when indiscipline is allowed to creep into the system, it means the system cannot function well.”

The Senate President however applauded the outgoing Chairman and his team for their achievements in the past five years of their tenure.

Akpabio told them: “For me, it is a day of mixed feelings. Feelings of joy that you have been able to serve your country through the National Assembly Service Commission for clear five years without any mishap.

“It is sad in the sense that I’m also going to miss many of you, particularly the Chairman, a very amiable, very accommodating and a very experienced public servant.

“Even before listening to the achievements, I could imagine that a man who approaches his work with calmness, no matter the fire, you will always be calm, that definitely, you will achieve a lot and I’m very proud of your achievements in the last five years.

“There is no doubt that the legislature cannot achieve much if we do not support our staff and if our staff are not well trained and if they are not well enabled and well motivated and if they are not well managed.

“I think that summarises what the National Assembly Service Commission stands for. We will do our best to carry on with the legacy that you have left behind.”

The outgoing Chairman of the NASC, Engr. Ahmed Amshi enumerated the achievements of his team put together in two volume of reports and presented to the Senate President.

Amshi thanked the Senate President for the support he gave to the Commission during his tenure.

“We are most sincerely grateful to the leadership of the National Assembly for giving us the opportunity to serve in this capacity.

“In spite of all the challenges faced, we are exiting as a satisfied people to have contributed our quota in the development of our dear nation.

“Your leadership qualities, support and encouragement have significantly impacted on us to have made these modest achievements,” Engr Amshi told the Senate President.