NASSLAF election: Kalu’s aide seeks support, says aides are engine room of lawmakers

Senior Legislative Aide to the Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Barrister Emeka Nwala has said that aides of lawmakers are their engine room that drives their robust legislative activities.

He said legislative aides works behind the scene, but their achievements are seen through their principals, noting that there was need for aides to be more united to play more strategic role for which they were known for.

Kalu’s aide who is anticipating for the leadership of National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum (NASSLAF) on Wednesday in Abuja at the Aides meeting recalled how the forum overcame its teething problem in the 6th National Assembly, but got deteriorated in the 7th and 8th Assembly to the extent that allowances of aides became a non issue.

He said if voted as Chairman of the National Assembly Legislative Forum, he would restore the lost glory of the forum, while recalling that he had been part of the struggle that brought the forum into life in the 6th National Assembly as Vice Chairman.

“The need to place all members of NASSLAF under one umbrella has long been canvassed and encapsulated in a formal body which kick started and achieved a lot on grounds in the 6th National Assembly.

“We in the executive rallied the support of all members within NASS complex and at the Constitutuencies to present cohesive and logical request to NASS management for consideration and implementation resulting in what members enjoyed in the 6th and part of 7th Assembly.

He decried delayed salaries and allowances of aides, stressing that it was affecting their productivity, but commended the present leadership for their intervention in payment of severance packages of the 8th National Assembly legislative aides.

“I keenly watched the succeeding administrations of the 7th and 8th Assemblies and make bold to say that a lot went wrong and we all as members were the ultimate lovers.

“Salaries were delayed, allowances were deprived and denied, training became stories and non-issues as the main motive was sniffles. To worsen matters, Congress was muscled to lose its cohesion and voice”, he lamented.