The National Assembly is considering a new salary structure for legislative aides attached to the 469 federal lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Speaking at a three-day capacity-building training for aides in Abuja, the Clerk to the National Assembly on Tuesday, Kamoru Ogunlana, said the reform aims to improve service delivery and enhance the performance of legislators.
Ogunlana noted that although aides are political appointees, their current conditions of service are modelled after civil service templates that do not reflect the peculiarities of their jobs.
He explained the challenges they face, stating, “Unlike civil servants, legislative aides have no job security, as their tenure is tied to their principals. Ranking is often not based on competence or qualifications.”
He explained that the absence of a comprehensive law defining the duties of different cadres of aides exposes them to arbitrary decisions.
Ogunlana detailed the proposed solution, saying, “We are proposing that the National Assembly Service Commission and Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission should develop a distinct salary structure and conditions of service that reflect the unique nature of your work. There is also a need to review appointment criteria to attract competent personnel and to establish safeguards against arbitrary termination.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission, Saviour Enyiekere, urged aides to continuously upgrade their skills and knowledge to contribute meaningfully to legislative work.
The training, organised in partnership with Research Enterprise Systems, brought together various categories of aides, including Chiefs of Staff to presiding officers, Special Advisers, and Senior Legislative Aides.
