Nathaniel Zaccheaus
The outgoing Clerk to the National Assembly, Olatunde Ojo, has created confusion in the federal parliament by embarking on a three-month Pre-retirement Leave without appointing anyone to act in his absence.
Ojo’s started his Pre-retirement Leave effective Monday, November 14 2022 following an order from the National Assembly Service Commission.
The NASC letter directed the outgoing CNA to hand over to the most senior official next to him, as acting CNA pending the appointment of a substantive one.
An official of NASC confirmed the development to ThisNigeria on Tuesday.
The source said, “The letter issued to the outgoing CNA directed him to hand over to the next most senior official in the National Assembly management.
“From our records at NASC, Those in the same cadre as Secretaries on the same Consolidated Salary Scales are, Henrietta Aimua – Ehikioya, Felix Orumwense and Magaji Sani Tambuwal, in that order of seniority.
The Director of Information in the National Assembly, Mr Rawlins Agada, said he had not seen any official communication from the outgoing CNA to that effect.
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He said, “At the moment, there is no clear indication as to who had been appointed by the outgoing CNA to act in his absence
“The CNA is expected to advance a memo informing us that he would be proceeding on his Pre-retirement Leave. Up till now, there is no such communication.
“Everything we are hearing is in the realm of speculation. We don’t know who had been appointed as acting CNA.
“Those who should know are the custodian of the National Assembly staff records, which is the National Assembly Service Commission.,
However, the NASC source said that Henrietta Aimua, the Secretary of inter-parliamentary affairs is the most senior official.
He said next to her is Felix Orumwense while Magaji Sani Tambuwal is the third most senior official.
He said, “All of them are on Consolidated Salary Scales. They are in the Permanent Secretary Cadre. They are already on Grade Level 17. They are off the salary scale.
“Henrietta Aimua is definitely the most senior official in terms of years of service
She is the Secretary of inter-parliamentary affairs”
The NASC in a letter on dated November 14 and signed by its Chairman, Ahmed Amshi, ordered the outgoing CNA to proceed on his pre-retirement leave, effective November 14th, 2022.
This is contained in a letter sighted by ThisNigeria on Tuesday morning,
The development followed a marathon meeting held by the Commissioners of NASC on Monday.
A source at the Commission said the Commissioners rejected Ojo’s request to spend his three months of Pre-retirement Leave in office.
They, therefore, directed him to hand over to the next most senior officer while the NASC would hold consultations with the National Assembly leadership on how to appoint a new CNA.
