RVHA Clerk To Enjoy HOS Status

Rivers State House of Assembly Committee on Agencies and Commissions, has promised to make the office of the Clerk of the House comparable to that of the Head of Service (HOS) as in the executive arm of government.

A member of the committee, Hon. Golden Chioma gave this indication while reacting to a submission at a public hearing organised by the committee on the proposed “Assembly Service Commission Amendment Bill.”

The lawmaker, who was emphatic on giving workers of the legislative arm befitting salary structure and designation, urged the clerk not to under rate his status.

He directed the clerk to approach his counterparts at the National Assembly to provide the House with the operational structure for domestication, noting that the head of the Assembly Service cannot be equated to a permanent secretary in one Ministry.

In his submission at the public hearing, Sir Emmanuel Ogele said the principal law was first enacted in 1999, amended in 2006 before the current effort, stressing that the tenure of the members of the commission should be five years as against four.

On the status of the clerk, he stated that since the enactment of the law, no definite backing has been given to the office like other states that made the office an equivalent of permanent secretary.

Sir Ogele, the clerk of the Assembly, advocated for different salary structure and welfare for legislative workers in line with their peculiar duties, pointing out that the office of the Deputy Clerk should also be made clear by the law.

Speaking on behalf of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Mr Anthony Egobueze (Jnr) supported equating the clerk to the office of the Head of Service and that the status of the Deputy Clerk should be designated and appointed from among the Clerks at table.

The secretary of the Assembly Service commission, Mr Eze Chindah submitted that the commission is seeking to take absolute control of the workforce in terms of promotion and discipline, while those on secondment should decide either to convert or go back to their parent Ministry.

The chairman of the committee, Hon Azubuike Wanjoku, assured the participants that the committee will do a thorough work to capture the valuable contributions that would facilitate their job.

Hon. Wanjoku said the committee would look into personal squabbles in the various units, but seek to have interpretable and equitable inputs, noting that the House would come up with laws that will put the workers in a good stead.