Chairman of the National Assembly and President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Ahmad Lawan, has directed the Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission, NASC, Engineer Kadi Amshi, to guide the commission to appoint an acting Clerk to the National Assembly, CNA, with immediate effect.
Amshi, a former aide to the Senate President from the position where he was appointed to Chair the NASC, is to unveil the new CNA via a letter of appointment of the officer to the appropriate authorities.
Specifically, the letter of appointment will be sent to the management of the National Assembly and copies sent to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The most qualified officer in the hierarchy of the National Assembly bureaucracy is expected to be tapped for the top job.
THE CONCLAVE learnt that even though the hierarchical structure is very clear, it is not going to be a smooth ride for the next CNA as no fewer than four top officers are quietly jostling for the plum job.
The leadership of the political wing of the National Assembly is not comfortable with the vacuum created by the exit of Architect Amos Ojo, who proceeded on his three-month pre-retirement leave on Monday, November 14th, 2022 amid intrigues and plots to stay put in the office to observe the obligatory leave.
Arc Amos Ojo’s occupation of the office had become functus officious effective November 14. His effective retirement date from service is February 14, 2023.
Recall that the commission had, after a prolonged media and public outcry, issued the outgone CNA with his letter to proceed on his pre-retirement leave.
THE CONCLAVE reports that the Senate President, Dr Lawan’s intervention thawed the ice and restored sanity in the succession process.
An insider account has it that the Senate President frowned at the inability of the NASC to be firm and proactive.
He was said to have further been disappointed by the failure of the Amshi-led commission to assume effective control of the situation.
It was also learnt that the Senate President faulted the NASC’s tardiness to have left the office vacant without any officer to step in when it was aware that the outgone CNA was on his way out..
He questioned the commission’s chairman, what he would do, if anything went wrong because of his indecision to get someone to oversee the activities of the national assembly.
It was at this point that he directed the chairman to go and issue a letter of appointment to the most qualified officer.
According to feelers, the commission will convene an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss and issue a letter of appointment to the most qualified officer as directed by the president of the senate.
Analysts and watchers of the development said that the tension and apprehension within the national assembly would have been reduced or eliminated “when this action takes place.”
In the last few days, the national assembly has been under tremendous pressure over the insistence of the outgone CNA not to proceed on his pre-retirement leave.
However, after that plot fell through, the commission has created more tension by not issuing a letter to the successor of the outgone CNA.
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