National Assembly clerk: High expectations trail Sani-Omolori’s ascendancy

The day Tuesday May 17th 2016 will remain most remarkable in the annals of the National Assembly (NASS), in general and Alhaji Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori, erstwhile Clerk of the House of Representatives in particular. Having been newly appointed the acting Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA) by the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), he had […]

The day Tuesday May 17th 2016 will remain most remarkable in the annals of the National Assembly (NASS), in general and Alhaji Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori, erstwhile Clerk of the House of Representatives in particular. Having been newly appointed the acting Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA) by the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), he had to formally disengage from the Green Chamber on that day being the next sitting day of the House, in order to move into the higher career position. As he took the valedictory bow to sign post his exit, nostalgia swept through the air engulfing all within the Chamber who witnessed it firsthand. The emotions had to overflow as pictures of the event were taken with motion and still cameras as well as camera phones by the press corps along with others, and posted to viewers outside the Green Chamber, as a testimonial to his deserving ascendancy to the exalted seat of CNA.
The spectacle was a befitting salute to a quintessential public servant, considered in many circles as one of the ‘originals’ whose enterprise and sweat drove the rejuvenation of the National Assembly, up  from the debris of its misfortune, following the sack of the ill-fated Third Republic by General Sani Abacha in 1993. Dr Adamu Fika, a frontline academic, trainer of public sector leaders and astute public sector manager himself, was the leader of the rescue squad in the capacity of the Director General of the skeletal National Assembly office. And so were some other selfless, patriotic officers who space will not allow their individual mention in this piece.
Is it then, it may be asked, an act of providence that both Fika and Sani-Omolori are back in the trench, al-be-it joined in purpose and direction, but in different but still critical capacities this time, to reverse and restore the soul of the NASS, in its contemporary circumstances which many see as the dwindling fortunes of the establishment, especially in the past five years. Dr Adamu Fika is the incumbent Executive Chairman of NASC.
Sani-Omolori will serve in an acting capacity between May 14th and August 13th 2016, being the period of terminal leave for the outgoing CNA Salisu Maikasuwa, who retires after the leave. If convention is anything to go by, then Sani-Omolori is expected to continue in office as substantive CNA as from the end of his acting season. This reality is not lost on many who are acquainted with his antecedents in public service as a focused, goal-driven workaholic. It is in that context that a cascade of high expectations trail his ascendancy to the office of CNA.
The cascade of expectations is driven by the take on the institution by its various publics. These comprise the staff, the legislators, host community, state houses of assembly and legislative chambers of local government councils as well as the international community with its complement of multilateral and transnational bodies to which NASS belongs or is associated with. In the context of the foregoing it must be admitted that the CNA has an uphill task ahead of him, given that the institution is not enjoying the best of times vis a vis the Nigerian public, with many commentators and opinion circles misreading its circumstances and operations and acting towards it accordingly.
In one context the present take on NASS by the Nigerian public is not unexpected given the circumstances associated directly and otherwise with the infancy of the nation’s democracy. As a central legislature for a country with a multiplicity of ethnic groups striving to establish unity in diversity, NASS remains a crucible for blending different world views into a balance. This much is captured in its vision statement which directs the institution to aspire “to be a proactive, efficient and effective legislature that will serve as a credible voice for consensus for all Nigerians in the spirit of the democratic project in the country”. Just as well the mission statement is “to continuously facilitate the expression and articulation by Nigerians of their richly varied world views and any other contributions towards national development”.
Hence, while it suffers the fate of the general purpose target for brick bats and often unjustified vituperations, NASS is only bearing the cross of blame for the soft-state legislative arms at the lower tiers of governance being the state and local governments, where democracy has been pushed into reverse gear by the potentates that be – state governors and the conniving local government chairmen.  An established fact is that at these tiers, government business is run as the private estate of whoever is in power. Since all hope for democratic practice is forlorn at the state level, it remains the lot of NASS to serve as the whipping boy’ of the country by anybody so disposed to treat accordingly.
Yet the foregoing cannot insulate Sani Omolori as CNA, from the burden of meeting the exacting expectations of stakeholders in Nigeria’s democratic project. And as it seems, he is coming to court prepared for the task. A lawyer by training Sani-Omolori acquired additional competencies during his meritorious service in several previous capacities. A plus for him is that for over a decade he served as the head of the Legal Department of the NASS during which period he superintended the life cycles of all bills that passed through the NASS, and were assented to as acts by Mr President.  It is on record that he served in that capacity throughout the eight-year tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo and part of that of President Umaru Yar’ Adua.In 2010 he was appointed Clerk to the House of Representatives, where he also rose to the occasion by innovatively managing the affairs of the ordinarily assertive members. The camaraderie he built in the Green Chamber during his stint there, courtesy of his trademark interpersonal skills, earned for him a rousing applause during his valediction last Tuesday.
As he settles into the higher office Sani-Omolori deserves prayers as the on-rushing legion of challenges facing the NASS, and requiring the working of miracles by the CNA and his bureaucracy invade him, to blur the difference between his acting season and the real substantive run beyond.However, given the acquaintance this author had enjoyed in the past with the new CNA,it can be stated unequivocally that NASS now has at the head of its bureaucracy a trained, tested and trusted hand with proven capacity to deliver, under any weather. It is to his credit that through personal enterprise he had in the past saved many flashpoints in the NASS establishment. All that experience will come in handy now he is on the saddle.
On the note of the foregoing, Alhaji Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori, the Ciroma of Igbira land, a detribalized bridge builder, bridge over troubled waters and man of candour, who is a beneficiary of several titles for philanthropy, it is for good measure that your good friends celebrate you on your new mission with the charge – may your road be rough, as difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations!