NASS Clerk emphasizes the Legislature’s impeachment powers and calls for their protection

By Adeleye Kunle

In the midst of impeachment threats against President Muhammadu Buhari by the Senate and House minority caucuses, the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Olatunde Amos Ojo, has stated that the National Assembly has impeachment powers.

He went on to say that the country’s constitution gives parliament investigative, financial, and confirmatory powers.

On Tuesday, Ojo gave the highlights while declaring open a three-day training workshop for House of Representatives staff on the theme “Legislative work ethics and behavioral conduct at work.”

As a result, the CNA demanded that the legislature be protected, emphasizing that it was the only symbol of democracy.

“The Legislature is the first of the three arms of government – the Legislature, the Executive, and the Judiciary,” he explained. The principle of separation of powers characterizes these Arms, as each is supposed to be independent of the other. Sections 4(1) and 4(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) grant the Legislature its powers (2). The Legislature has the authority to make laws for the Federation’s peace, order, and good governance.

“It is also given investigative, financial, confirmation, and impeachment powers.” It would not be inappropriate for me to use this occasion to remind us that the Legislature is the global symbol of democracy. As a result, it is pertinent and incumbent on all supporters of democracy to ensure that this Institution is safeguarded. One method is to provide adequate staff training. As I stated during one of the staff training programs, we cannot continue to do things the same way and expect different results. We must continue to add value to the legislative process and should not undervalue the value of the services we provide to our dear nation by facilitating quality lawmaking that promotes public order and security.”

Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, Clerk of the House of Representatives, also spoke at the workshop and emphasized the importance of proper ethical behavior.

He warned the staff not to violate the Oath of Secrecy, stating that government documents must be kept secure.

“The civil service regards the need to maintain secrecy on official government documents as extremely important.” The 1962 Oath of Secrecy has remained in effect in the civil service to demonstrate the importance the government places on official documents. A civil servant who divulges an official secret is said to have divided loyalty. The inability of civil servants to follow these rules is defined as “serious misconduct” in Section 04401 of the civil service rules. A specific act of serious wrongdoing and improper behavior that can be investigated and proven is referred to as serious misconduct.

“It includes absence from duty without leave, disobedience, refusal to accept posting, corruption, dishonesty, drunkenness, insubordination, record falsification, negligence, and so on.” Ethnicity is the use of ethnic and sectional sentiment to give people of the same ethnic origin an unfair and undue advantage. This can occur in a variety of ways, including when a particular region or ethnic group attempts to dominate leadership of some government institutions due to the number of officers from that region. “The implication is that if you are a leader who is not from that region, you intend to lose the loyalty of the officers from that region,” he said.

The workshop was primarily designed to raise participants’ awareness of their primary responsibilities within the parliamentary system.

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