The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana has called for a comprehensive reform of the National Assembly Service, including merit-based appointments and promotions, a unified staff database and clearer working relationships between the National Assembly Service Commission and the management.
The Clerk made the call while delivering an opening speech at a three-day retreat for the top management of the National Assembly and members of the National Assembly Service Commission at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
He said the retreat, which runs from October 15 to 18, 2026, provides an opportunity for the leadership and management of the National Assembly to critically examine the service and determine how to make it more efficient, accountable, transparent and professional.
According to him, the effectiveness of the legislature depends not only on proceedings on the floor of the Senate and House of Representatives but also on the competence and professionalism of personnel supporting legislative activities.
He said, “The National Assembly is not only an arm of the Federal Government, it is one of the most important institutions of our democracy.”
The Clerk identified human resource management as one of the major challenges confronting the service, stressing that appointments, promotions and staff development should be based primarily on merit, competence, experience, performance and the needs of the service.
He warned that allowing considerations outside the National Assembly Service Act 2014 and the applicable Scheme of Service to influence appointments and promotions could result in judicial challenges, administrative embarrassment and institutional instability.
He also called for the establishment of a single, authoritative and continuously updated database containing the records of all National Assembly staff.
He said the database should capture the identity, cadre, grade level, qualifications, appointment and promotion history, postings and training records of every staff member.
The Clerk described the existence of inconsistent staff nominal rolls and records within the service as a matter of institutional integrity that required urgent attention.
On the relationship between the National Assembly Service Commission and management, he urged both bodies to avoid operating as separate institutional silos, stressing that their responsibilities were complementary.
He said the Commission should focus on its statutory responsibilities while management should ensure the effective day-to-day administration of the National Assembly Service.
The Clerk particularly called for clearer consultation and role definition in the appointment, deployment and discipline of top management staff.
He also urged stakeholders to clarify the coordinating role of the Clerk to the National Assembly, noting that the institution comprises about 3,841 staff, 12 directorates, 72 departments and four affiliated agencies.
According to him, the complexity of the National Assembly makes an effective coordination mechanism essential to prevent duplication, conflict and institutional inefficiency.
He stressed that the coordinating role of the Clerk should not be viewed as competition with agencies whose powers are established by law, but as a mechanism for ensuring that the various components of the service work together effectively.
The Clerk further raised concerns over delays in disciplinary action against erring staff, noting that management supervises personnel while formal disciplinary powers rest with the Commission.
He said the arrangement could lead to delays and mutual blame when misconduct or poor performance is not addressed promptly.
He therefore proposed the delegation of appropriate powers for the appointment, promotion and discipline of officers on Grade Levels 3 to 6 to the management of the National Assembly, subject to policy direction, oversight and accountability by the Commission.
“Delegation, properly designed, is not a surrender of authority.