The Senate President Senator Ahmad Lawan has promised continued support for the Legislative Service Commission.
Lawan made this known at the National and State Assembly service commission conference held in Kaduna on Tuesday.
The Senate President who was represented by senator Ibrahim Shekarau said “We assure you of our continued support for your efforts considering our joint roles in evolution of viral legislature”.
The conference had as its theme: “Repositioning Assembly service commission for optimum service delivery ”
Lawan added that the conference is a welcome development considering the rule of the commission in the life of the legislature.
According to him, this conference is a veritable platform to compare notes and enhance understanding through sharing experiences for the sake of good governance and achievement, and also to strengthen mechanisms for stability.
In his own remark, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai commended the harmonious working relationship with the Kaduna State House of assembly since the year 2015.
El-Rufai mentioned that the executive and the state Assembly have been working together since the year 2015 to enact laws that will advance public welfare and development in the state.
“I have had the privilege of signing over 100 new laws to improve governance and promote public welfare in the state and I, therefore, pay tribute to members of the state Assembly”, he explained.
According to him “the concrete results of my corporation with the Assembly is evident for everyone to see, which includes the unprecedented urban renewal programme which the government is implementing in the three main cities of the state; Kaduna, Kafanchan and Zaria.”
He noted that the reform includes the repeal of the state’s internally generated revenue to ” 50.7 billion in 2020 from a mere N13 billion in 2015. Adding that “within the period of six years, Kaduna state has attracted over 2.8 Billion in new business and investment pledges”.
According to him, the investment has been in sectors as devices as irons, mining and steel production, chicken hatching, tomatoes farming and processing, ranching, vehicle assembling, fertilizer production, housing renewable energy and retail among others.
He said the state has taken a decisive step to translate Kaduna’s potential into economic opportunity.
Adding that the Governor, the state government has already anchored its drive to economic growth and development on attracting private sector investment and it has also invested considerable effort in establishing credentials as a friendly state for business.
Engr Sani Bala chairman house committee on Public Service matter, National assembly said the programme is aimed at fertilization of ideas on ways and manner of repositioning public service in the legislative arm of government for optimum service delivery.
Bala urged the assembly service commission to ensure the enactment of a renewed category of the employees in the service that are patriotic, competent trained and adequately motivated so as to be able to perform their respective responsibilities in line with the mandate and agenda of the legislative at all time.
The Executive Chairman National Assembly Service Commission Engr Ahmad Amish said the rules of the National assembly service commission are to manage and provide knowledgeable and competent manpower to the legislator so they could perform effectively.
“If you have a weak staff for the national assembly and state assemblies, definitely the legislative duties would be very difficult for the legislature to conduct,” he stated.
Amshi said the plan of coming together is to look at the contending problems and how to improve the service deliveries that the staff provide to the national and state assemblies service commission.
According to him, financial autonomy is one of the contending issues that would be looked into at the conference. “Without financial autonomy for the legislature definitely their functions can be jeopardized … this forum is where we come together to discuss and advise all respective governance on these issues, while assured that we will have positive responses”.
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