Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Olasunkanmi Akinlotan
Published on 2024-03-19 04:50:56
There is growing unrest among career staffers and political office holders at the Ogun State House of Assembly regarding the appointment of a new Clerk. The crisis arose after the retirement of the previous House Clerk, Adedeji Adeyemo, in early March, and the assembly’s refusal to announce a successor since then. Speculations suggest that the delay was a strategic move by the government to install a non-legislative staff member as the new Clerk, causing concern among the Assembly workers.
In the legislative arm of government, the most senior career staffer typically serves as the Clerk, acting as the Head of Service under the control of the executive branch. The appointment of a head of service is subject to the governor’s approval but must be selected from the existing senior civil servants. Consequently, the Assembly workers expected that the new Clerk would be chosen from among them, considering their years of service in the legislative arm of government.
In alignment with the laws passed during the 8th House of Assembly and assented to by former Governor Ibikunle Amosun, the House of Assembly Service Commission was established in Ogun State. According to the law, the most senior legislative staff member should assume the role of the House Clerk at all times. Section 12(1) of the law specifies that the Commission should appoint the most senior Deputy Clerk as the substantive Clerk of the House, subject to the House’s confirmation by a Resolution.
Investigations revealed that in several other states across the country, Deputy Clerks have been appointed as Clerks after screening and confirmation by the Service Commissions. The delay in appointing a new Clerk in Ogun State has caused anxiety among the Assembly staff, who fear that a non-legislative staff member might be imposed on them as the Clerk. Despite expressing their concerns to the Speaker, they received an unsatisfactory response, leading to further apprehension among the workers.
The issue has divided legislators, with some advocating for the enforcement of the House of Assembly Service Commission’s law, while others believe that qualified civil servants from outside the Assembly could also serve as Clerk. In a court ruling in 2020, Justice O.A Onafowokan of the Ogun State High Court emphasized the need to adhere to the laws governing the appointment, promotion, transfer, and discipline of staff at the Assembly. The judgement underscored the authority of the House of Assembly Service Commission in making decisions regarding staffing matters.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Speaker of the House, Oludaisi Elemide, and the Chairman of the House Committee on Communication, Olusegun Kaka, were unsuccessful as they did not respond to calls or messages regarding the appointment of the new Clerk. The situation remains unresolved, with tensions persisting among Assembly workers and legislators alike over the looming appointment of a new Clerk.
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