National Assembly to employ 2,445 aides for legislators

Despite Nigeria’s dwindling economy, occasioned by the slump in global oil prices, the country’s 469 federal lawmakers in the in-coming administration will employ 2,445 legislative aides in the eighth session of the National Assembly which kicks-off on May 29, BusinessDay has learnt.

The 469-member federal legislature consists of 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives.

At a time when decaying infrastructure are not serviced or replaced due to dwindling capital votes, in addition to other competing basic needs, five aides will be attached to a lawmaker, while each of the principal officers will have ten legislative aides.

The budget for the legislative arm has been a drain on the economy. So also has been the hiking of the recurrent votes. For the four years of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, the National Assembly has been allocated N600 billion, representing N150 billion per year.

The amount, which observers say covers the capital votes of 20 ministries, departments and agencies, also represents 3.4 percent of the total budget of the country.

Calls have heightened across the federation for a reduction in overhead cost, especially now that the treasury is in the red and outstanding salaries are mounting across tiers of government.

The eighth National Assembly will be inaugurated in the first week of June. A breakdown of the figure indicates that all federal lawmakers are entitled to five legislative aides each.

These include: Senior Legislative Aides, Legislative Aides, Secretary, Personal Assistant and Legislative Assistant.

While Senior Legislative Aides are on Salary Grade Level 14 to 16, Legislative nAides are paid on SGL 10 to 12, with Secretary (SGL 7-8), Personal Assistant (SGL 8) and Legislative Assistant (SGL 9). In addition, the 20 presiding officers from both chambers of the National Assembly are provided with five additional aides, making a total of 10 aides for each presiding officer. The additional aides include: Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, Media Relations Officers and Protocol Officers.

Benedict Efeturi, deputy clerk to the National Assembly hinted that legislative aides are employed by the National Assembly Service Commission, in accordance with the provisions of the Commission’s enabling act.

Efeturi, who is also the clerk to the Senate, said each legislator is to nominate qualified candidates to the Commission, which stands terminated upon the death, recall or expiration of the tenure of the lawmaker.

“The National Assembly Service Commission is vested with the power of recruitment and discipline of legislative aides. The choice of legislative aides remains the exclusive preserve of the legislator who submits the list of his preferred aides to the National Assembly, for employment,” he hinted.

Reacting to the development, Emeka Ononamadu, executive director, Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights, submitted that serious-minded lawmakers who mean well for the country should lead the way in the effort for the reduction of cost of governance.

Ononamadu also fingered commissioners, board chairmen and governors ,among political office holders with outrageous aides.

He decried the fact that while the common man is feeling the impact of the drop in oil prices, the reverse is the case with political office holders who according to him, feed fat on taxpayers’ money.

The executive director canvassed for professionals in politics and not professional politicians in public offices.

He said: “All our elected representatives are aware of the danger of the high cost of governance. I honestly think that any politician that is worth his salt should on his own reject those very huge and embarrassing pay checks they collect while the rest of Nigerians go hungry.

“Even without the drop in oil price, the campaign and advocacy for reduction of cost of governance had been there because we believe that Nigeria is suffering from infrastructural decay that is almost at opposite direction with the kind of resources we generate on a yearly basis.”