Date Published: 01/06/10

AS NASIRU ARAB RETIRES IN JANUARY 2010, WHO BECOMES DCNA? By Emeka Oraetoka

The game of wits between the Political Leadership of the National Assembly and the National Assembly Service Commission [NASC], over who becomes the Clerk of the House of Representatives or Senate, that will eventually become the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly-DCNA, is expected to peak on January 12, 2010, when the acting Clerk of NASS, Mr. Yemi Ogunyomi, will be confirmed on substantive basis.

For almost two years now, Alhaji Aliyu Dogondaji-led NASC has been trying to intimidate the NASS leadership into accepting its preferred and anointed candidate, Alhaji Salisu Maikaswu, as the Clerk of the House of Representatives, or that of Senate, when the bid failed in the House. The apparent desperation to install the special duty Clerk by NASC, came to a head last year when assassination attempt on his life was allegedly stage-managed to paint the leadership of both houses of the National Assembly in bad light, so that the stage will be set for the final humiliation of Speaker Dimeji Bankole-led House, and Senator David Mark Senate Leadership. The idea of the Assassination attempt was probably for the public to say; “Ha, after denying this man his position, they want to kill him”. Many believe that, were it not for the methodic investigation of the assassination story by the Nigeria Police, even though the victim elected to report the incident to them, two clear! days after its occurrence, the intended mischief would have been on to this day. The Police was able to establish that the car rode to the Mosque by Maikaswa on that fateful day, was not hit by bullets despite his claim that he was shot at, severally, by the rampaging assassins. What made the story more laughable was he claiming that he was being shot at directly, while reversing the car. The apparent lack of urgency in reporting such a life threatening incident, may have informed Police statement, which suggested indictment of the author of the assassination story.

A fresh angle to the game of supremacy between Senator Mark-led National Assembly and NASC has been introduced as rumor has it that the Senate President, is planning to railroad the acting Clerk of the Senate, Benedict Efeture as the next DCNA of NASS. The rumor appears to have lent credence to the hint by The Lawmaker, a quarterly magazine of the National Assembly; specifically, 1st half October 2009, of its edition; that plan was afoot to subvert rule of law and due process in an effort to impose a preferred fellow as the next DCNA by the political leaders of NASS. For instance, this comment in the Magazine clearly justified the rumor of the Senate President’s gambit: ----They further said that worst still is the dangerous trend that some junior staff are following to jump the gun and jettison laid down procedure to occupy higher public offices. The respondent however, posited that such civil servants should not be blamed rather; the blame should be placed squarely a!  t the doorstep of the two chambers of the National Assembly whom they submitted have introduced nepotism, tribalism and religious bigotry into an affair that is not political but purely administrative----.

After this writer’s material was published in New Nigerian, LEADERSHIP and Peoples Daily Newspapers, one month after the alleged attempt on the life of the Special Duty Clerk, a two pages center spread advertorial appeared in ThisDay Newspaper of Wednesday, October 14, 2009, with this caption; Succession Crisis in NASS: Leave David Mark And Dimeji Bankole Alone, wherein the advertisers warned the detractors of the leaders of both chambers of NASS, to stop casting aspersions on the persons of the two leaders. Still in the advert, they comprehensively told the whole Nigeria of the outcome of the examination conducted by NASC for the purpose of filling the anticipated vacancies in NASS bureaucracy. In fact, the advert was so detailed that the score of each and every candidate that sat for the exam was displayed. Those shortlisted to fill the expected openings were in the advert too. The preferred choice of NASC for the position of clerk of the House, Alhaji Salisu Maikasu!  wa, scored 52% and came 9th in the score sheet. Five [5] important issues the examination committee took into account in recommending three [3] candidates to fill openings in acting capacity in 2006, according to the advertorial were: [a] Performance at interviews [b] Recommendation made by the clerk to NASS [c] Security clearance of 7 officers [d] Acceptability of the candidates to leadership of NASS [e] Not more than one candidate should come from one State. The question now is; where has Rule of Law, and Due Process gone, in the search for the Clerk of any of the Houses, in view of the current administration commitment to equity and justices?

On the account of the expose of ThisDay advertorial and the facts therein, one is at loss as to the reason behind the alleged move by the Senate President to foist an unqualified person as the Clerk of NASS, as he is known as an apostle of rule of law and Constitutional order. Only recently, the Senate President insisted that Constitutional provisions must be followed if there must be a joint sitting for the purpose of Budget presentation by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. For avoidance of doubt this is what the Senate President said according to Punch Newspaper of 22 November 2009 in a letter to the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tony Anenih, in which he submitted that there was nothing personal about the Senate’s insistence that provisions of Section 52[2] and Section 53[2] of the 1999 Constitution be respected by all who swore to uphold it---. On the account of David Mark’s principal stand on Constitutional order and due! process, arising from budget presentation crisis, why then is he trying to impose someone who is seventh [7] in hierarchy as the Clerk of the National Assembly? Analysts have reasoned that should the Senate President go ahead with his alleged plan to force Benedict Effeture on the throat of NASS bureaucracy, despite the implication on rule of law and due process, the fabled banana pill may resurface in the Assembly. It is strongly believed that if eventually he goes ahead with the idea of Effeture, the reason for the banana pill will present itself on a platter of gold as he will be seen as preaching what he did not believe in from Adam- rule of law and due process.

Should the Senate move against him if the rumor is true, he may go down in history as probably the first General ever from the Army to be disgraced in a democratic dispensation. If this happens, it will be shameful not only to him but to the army as a respected institution in Nigeria. For now, Benedict Effeture as the next Clerk of NASS after Ogunyemi in March 2010 remains hypothetical, at best, an unsubstantiated gossip. The only option for Senator David Mark leadership of NASS at least based on what its believes in- rule of law, due process and Constitutional order, is to instruct NASC to proceed with the process of filling the vacant positions at NASS bureaucracy, effective from January 2010, when Ogunyemi will be effective as Clerk of NASS; from the result of 2006 examination for that reason. This is the only solution to the needless game of wits between Senator David Mark-led NASS and Alhaji Aliyu Dogondaji-led NASC. The other alternative is for the executive arm of!   government to appoint persons from outside to fill the expected vacancies. The danger in this scenario is that the Senate President’s leadership competence will be seriously questioned. Should it happen [appointment of people from outside to fill
in the gaps], it may have negative impact on the political career of the Senate President as he will be seen as a fellow who could not control the legislative arm of government under his leadership.

Emeka Oraetoka
Information Management Consultant & Political Researcher
Wrote in from Garki- Abuja
P. O Box 18928
e-mail:oramekllis@lycos.com