The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, has urged legislative aides to move beyond performing routine personal duties for lawmakers and develop into professional legislative support officers capable of making meaningful contributions to lawmaking, oversight and representation.
Ogunlana made the call on Tuesday in Abuja while delivering his keynote address at the opening of a training programme for legislative aides of the 10th National Assembly.
The training, organised by the management of the National Assembly, is the first of nine batches and is themed, “Building Competence of Legislative Aides for Effective Legislative Support in the Legislature.”
The Clerk said the legislative aides’ platform had undergone significant reforms since the return to democratic rule in 1999, including the introduction of dedicated budgetary funding, defined ranks and cadres, institutionalised training and efforts toward professionalisation.
He, however, identified some unresolved issues requiring attention in the next phase of the reform process.
According to him, these include the need to clarify the respective responsibilities of the National Assembly Service Commission and the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission in determining the salaries and conditions of service of legislative aides.
Ogunlana also said the legal status of legislative aides required further clarification, particularly because the National Assembly Service Act 2014 does not expressly define legislative aides, their functions or their relationship with the National Assembly Service.
He further raised questions about whether legislative aides are covered by the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act 2017 while performing their official duties.
The Clerk said the reforms were necessary not only to improve the welfare of legislative aides but also to strengthen their capacity to provide effective support to lawmakers.
Ogunlana described the current crop of legislative aides as arguably one of the most educated and experienced groups produced by the National Assembly, but warned that education and experience must translate into measurable performance.
“There are also instances where the role of the Legislative Aide has been reduced to running personal errands, carrying bags, managing spare phones or simply remaining physically available to the principal.
“There is nothing wrong with assisting a principal with legitimate personal or administrative needs when necessary. But that cannot be the defining purpose of a Legislative Aide,” he said.
The Clerk urged the aides to develop their capacity to research bills, analyse policy proposals, prepare briefing notes, monitor committee proceedings, track government policies, study budget proposals and follow up on legislative resolutions.
He added that they should provide lawmakers with relevant background information on constituency issues and anticipate their principals’ information needs.
“In short, his value should be measured by the quality of legislative support he provides, not simply by doing ‘notice me’ to his principal,” Ogunlana said.
Prepare for 2027 Transition
Ogunlana noted that with the lifespan of the 10th National Assembly expected to end on June 12, 2027, the legislature had entered a transition period ahead of another electoral cycle.
He said the period would bring additional responsibilities for legislative aides, who must understand the processes involved in the commencement of a new legislative session, election of presiding officers, formation of committees and inauguration of a new parliament.
The Clerk also addressed the participation of some legislative aides in partisan politics and political primaries.
He said there was nothing wrong with legislative aides having political aspirations, but stressed that such aspirations must be pursued within the law and the conditions governing their employment.
Ogunlana urged aides seeking elective positions to understand the legal and administrative requirements relating to their employment, including when and to whom resignation letters should be submitted.
“These are not theoretical questions. They are practical questions that Legislative Aides must understand, particularly as the political environment becomes increasingly active,” he said.
Ogunlana Warns Against Breach of Confidentiality
The Clerk further charged the aides to maintain confidentiality, avoid conflicts of interest and respect established channels of communication and constituted authority.
He said their positions were ones of trust, noting that lawmakers, the National Assembly and constituents entrusted them with sensitive information and responsibilities.
Ogunlana urged the participants to see themselves as professionals contributing to the effectiveness of the National Assembly rather than merely as aides to individual lawmakers.
He challenged them to “move from attendance to engagement, from experience to expertise, from proximity to usefulness, and from routine to results.”
The Clerk commended the leadership of the National Assembly, the National Assembly Service Commission, the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, Periscope Consulting Ltd and other resource persons for supporting the training.
He expressed confidence that the programme would equip legislative aides with the skills required to strengthen lawmaking, oversight and representation.
Ogunlana thereafter declared the training officially open.
