The National Assembly Service
Commission says there is no basis for
withdrawing the appointment of the
newly appointed Acting Clerk of the
National Assembly (NASS), Alhaji
Mohammed Sani-Omolori.
Dr Adamu Fika, the Executive Chairman
of the commission, said this in a letter
he sent to the President of the
Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, and copied
to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara,
on Tuesday.
Fika said that the decision to appoint
Sani-Omolori as acting Clerk instead
of the current Deputy Clerk was
because he would himself proceed on
Terminal leave on Aug. 2.
He added that the date on which Mr
Efeturi would proceed on terminal
leave was just 12 days before the
current Clerk, Mr Salisu Maikasuwa,
would hand over to his successor.
“This means that Mr Efeturi is time
barred for the acting appointment
hence the choice of Mr Sani-Omolori
to act and ensure continuity in that
very important Public Service office.
“In arriving at the Commission’s
decision, the Chairman did not use his
casting vote, because eleven
Commissioners were in support while
only one who voted no,” he said.
He clarified that the denial of Efeturi
the position of acting Clerk was not
due to the allegation that he (Efeturi)
was not duely appointed as Deputy
Clerk as contained in Saraki’s letter.
On the issue of seniority, he noted
that the duo were both appointed
acting clerk on the same day, Feb. 4,
2010, and on March 25, they were also
appointed Substantive Clerks.
However, he added that Omolori was
made a Director on Jan. 1, 2007, one
year earlier than Efeturi who was
made a Director on Jan. 1, 2008.
“It should be noted that in the Nigeria
public service, seniority is determined
at the time of consideration for
promotion and career progression
chart leading to it.
“Seniority has never and is never
decided by the date of appointment to
the service nor date of retirement
from service or indeed the number of
years spent in the
service.
“From the above analysis, denying Mr
Mohammed Sani-Omolori appointment
as Deputy Clerk to the National
Assembly in 2014 was improper being
that he was senior to Mr Benedict
Efeturi.
“With the above explanations, the
issue of misleading and misinforming
your good self and the Honourable
Speaker of the House of
Representatives does not arise.
“The Commission properly evaluated
the two officers and took into account
their service records as a determining
factor for the appointment of Acting
Clerk to the National Assembly.
“In light of all the foregoing, Your
Excellency will agree that reversing
the decision of the Commission
appointing Mr Mohammed Sani-
Omolori as the Acting Clerk to the
National Assembly cannot be tenable
in the circumstances,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
reports that the President of the
Senate through his Chief of Staff had
directed the withdrawal of the
appointment of the Acting Clerk of
NASS. (NAN)
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