Recently, the National Assembly organized a two-part training retreat for its top management staff, in Lokoja and Kaduna respectively. JOSHUA EGBODO, in this piece reviews the exercise, as well as projects how the federal legislature can be effective in service delivery
It was on March 20, 2017 that Senate President Bukola Saraki formally declared open, the first part of a training programme for top management staff of the National Assembly, organized in conjunction with the National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS).
Clerk of the National Assembly (CNA), Ataba Sani-Omolori in his remarks just before the event was opened tasked the participants to be prepared to lead the change being expected, and to be in tune with the change mantra on the present government, but reminded the executive arm of the federal government that the National Assembly’s bureaucracy can only give its best and meet its expectations, “the requirements for motivating great performances need to be provided”.
According to the CNA, the retreat’s ultimate aim, and focus was “to improve our respective competences for enhanced performance in our determination to achieve institutional goals”, adding that evaluations have shown “some yawning gaps in our respective skills which needed to be addressed and aligned with the leadership vision and institutional mission”.
He stressed that going by the National Assembly’s relatively nascent history as an institution in comparison to the other arms of government in the country, there was no doubt that the retreat was necessary, as well as timely in order to improve the staff members’ creative experiences.
Saraki who declared the retreat opened, on his part tasked management staff of the nation’s apex legislature on innovative ideas that will reposition the institution with a view to meeting contemporary challenges. “The task I place before you is solutions for improving the National Assembly. We need your innovative ideas that will ultimately attract the best brains work and be retained here”, he stated.
The Senate President who described management staff of the National Assembly as the fulcrum with which the parliamentary duties are executed, he said “it is against this background that, it is imperative that the management fit for the task ahead of us, and lives up to its responsibilities; to deliver coherent, effective and efficient support as we pursue our vision for the development of the country”.
Saraki did not also forget the lingering allegation of non-transparency in the management of finances of the institution by the citizens, and therefore reiterated that “Unless we change the work, ethics and inculcate greater transparency in both accountability and output, we will not earn their (Nigerians’) respect.
We cannot carry on in any other way and expect to deliver better oversight of others”, he said, and cautioned the management to be fair, so that people deservingly get recruited, promoted and rewarded based on merit.
Participants at the Lokoja retreat did not agree less with the Senate President, as they in the communique issued after the exercise that ended after five days, advocated for “a more robust recruitment, selection and promotion system, which (will) ensure that only that only people with the appropriate qualifications, expertise and skills are recruited.
Going forward, the participants also wanted the increasing number of security agencies in the National Assembly checked, as according to them, they said diminish the specialized function of the Sergeant-at-Arms, and thus called for professionalization of the Sergeant-at-Arms, with the aim of providing security for the National Assembly in line with parliamentary practices around the globe.
They also agreed on a number of innovations that would help in the repositioning plan, including support for the introduction and application of results based strategies as a central element of the reform process, as well as a greater synergy between committee clerks and the political leadership, and between all staff providing support for committees, while directing clerks to insist on transparency in the discharge of their functions, among others.
When the Kaduna version of the retreat, which commenced on Monday April 3, 2017 was to end last Friday, Speaker of the House of Representatives was on ground to formally announce the adjournment of the exercise. What should have been a simple closing ceremony later turned dramatic, as Dogara and Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai got pitched against each other on issues bothering the management of public funds.
El-Rufai, who had graced the occasion as Chief Host, while delivering his goodwill message, took the National Assembly’s leadership to task on redeeming the battered image of the apex legislature. “The National Assembly is seen as as opposing the fight against corruption, particularly the Senate. I do not believe it is entirely true, I don’t believe it is totally false either. Nobody know your budget. I have seen publications on your emoluments, which I do not believe is true”, he said while urging the federal parliament to open up its budget.
The Governor however commended the bureaucracy, which he said he had in the past erroneously thought was the problem in governance? “Over the years, there was a time I considered the bureaucracy as the problem, but as I grow up, I understand as a politician, to succeed, is to have an independent bureaucracy that can tell you the truth. Nothing can be sustained as a legacy, without the bureaucracy”, he said.
When Speaker Yakubu Dogara mounted the rostrum, he challenged Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State, to extend his campaign for transparency in the budget of the National Assembly to other arms of government including how governors spend their security votes, and what usually happen to local government funds, after announcing that the National Assembly’s management had already been directed to publish details of its budget.
“I will like to challenge my senior brother (El-Rufai) to champion this cause for transparency in the budgetary process from the National Assembly to other arms of government. The Judiciary first. We want to see clearly how Chief Executives of States, how they are paid. What do they spend monthly as security votes?, and if they can publish what happens to local government funds under their jurisdictions. That will help our discussion going forward,” Dogara said.
Back to the event of the day, the Speaker acknowledged the challenges faced by the management of the federal legislature, but that it was understandable for the manner in which the institution is misunderstood, stressing that no parliament in the world can win popularity contest and Nigeria’s National Assembly was not an exception.
“When, for instance, public discussions on funding of the legislature are being made, the entire bureaucracy is often completely discountenanced, neither is any consideration given to the fact that this is a special bureaucracy saddled with a multitude of ‘masters’ who must be equally served in addition to service to the nation,” Dogara said.
Continuing, the Speaker said; “As leaders, you must be prepared to motivate the workforce. Motivation is the key to innovation anywhere. For far too long, the bureaucracy in Nigeria has failed to innovate because it is locked in a tradition that defines boundaries that must not be crossed.
“A tradition that says we have always done it this way and apportions sanctions for those who dare doing it the other way even if the outcomes are better. These are chains that bind the bureaucracy in Nigeria from within. Although the most difficult chains to break are those within us, we must break them in order to free the bureaucracy and make it competitive and innovative. The key to achieving this is undoubtedly, training and retraining in an environment such as this.
Now that the entire exercise has ended, observers are of great concern that would this not be one of the usual talk shows, which in practice are without impact? On this, the CNA was very optimistic. He said he had no doubt, that having identified some gaps and challenges inherent in the service of the parliament, the event, based on the presentations of the resource persons will assist in the internal reform process. Many analysts share in the optimism, but only time will tell.
It is imperative that the management fit for the task ahead of us, and lives up to its responsibilities; to deliver coherent, effective and efficient support as we pursue our vision for the development of the country
