- increases deputy clerks to five
SUNRISE NEWS, Lagos, Sept 16, 2020 Lagos House of Assembly has passed into law the Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission( Amendment) 2020 having tinkered basic provisions to engender a truly autonomous legislature in the state.
The bill which is an amendment to the Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission Law of 2015 was unanimously passed in to law by all members present at the plenary session of the assembly on Monday, September 14, 2020 after the Third reading.
The law is to give legal backing and operational modules to the new financial autonomy granted State Legislatures and Judiciary in the Section 121(3) of the 4th Alteration of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,which Mr President issued Executive Order upon in May 22,2020 for its immediate implementation.
The newly amended law which is now waiting for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s assent consists of 12 amendments and seven new sections.
Among the new amendments is Section 4 which deals with the tenure of the Chairman and members of the commission.
According to the amended Section 4, “The Chairman and members of the Commission shall hold office for a term of five(5) years and may be eligible for re-appointment for a further term of five (5) years only”.
Section 21 deals with the tenure of the Clerk of the House, it states that inter alia; “The Clerk shall hold office for a period of four years and may be eligible for re-appointment for a further term of four (4) years only”.
Section 22 creates five Deputy Clerk positions, which includes; Deputy Clerk(Legislative Matters), Deputy Clerk( Legislative Drafting and Legal Services),Deputy Clerk(Publication),Deputy Clerk( Administration and Human Resources) and Deputy Clerk( Finance and Accounts.
Among the newly created sections of the law are Sections 24 and 29 which deal with fund of the commission and payment of salaries, pensions, other remuneration and allowances payable to members, and staff of the House of Assembly respectively.
The two items are now domiciled in the budget of the House of Assembly.
It would however be recalled that the former Clerk of the House, Mr Azeez Sanni bowed out after giving 35 years of meritorious service, on Thursday 11th day of September 2020 and ever since his position has been vacant while Mr Abubarka Otun the Deputy Clerk held forte.
The news making the rounds however posits that the next Clerk may be a woman, as there are three individuals eligible for the post within the Assembly now.
