The former Clerk of the House of Representatives, Niyi Ajiboye, talks to TradeInvest Nigeria on how the legislature became more efficient and stable in recent years.
Could you clarify the role of the Clerk in the House of Representatives?
The Clerk is the chief civil servant in the House of Representatives. His major role is to advise the presiding officers on both administrative and legislative matters, especially in the day-to-day running of the chamber. He prepares all the documents that are to be used in the parliament, he arranges sittings, and prepares the order of the day, which is strictly to be followed. Unless an item is on that order paper, a major motion has to be made to introduce a new matter.
Some matters do suddenly arise that have never been encountered before. It is then left to the presiding officer and the Clerk to find a way to fix it while still following the rules of the House. Sometimes, when the situation is tight, things are forgotten. It is left to a non-political officer to gather himself and advise his political master. Actually, the job of the Clerk is very critical. There are some speakers who have spent more than a decade in the House and yet they depend on the Clerks.
Could you please give a brief of your background and experience.
I studied in England, then went to the US to do a Masters at Western Michigan University. I initially worked at the Federal Capital Development Authority. On joining the National Assembly in 1992, I was in the research department. Later I was moved to the House of Representative as a Clerk at the table. From there, I had series of training opportunities. I have been to the British parliament about three times for training on procedures and appropriations. I have been to the Congress of the United States of America with members of the military committee, and I was also the Committee Clerk in charge of the Ministry of Defence. I went to the Indian parliament for about 10 weeks to study procedures. Similarly, I have been to the French and German parliaments to learn their techniques. I was the Chamber Officer in charge of procedure. That was how I rose to become the Clerk of the House of Representatives, based on my experience and training.
What has been your greatest achievement during your time as Clerk?
The stability of the House. The House of Representatives is full of young people and agile individuals. It is sometimes exuberant, and also very volatile. But because of my experience, and probably my age too, I was able to strike a balance and see that dialogue, rather than punches, prevail. Between 1999 and 2003 there was constant fighting on the floor of the House, but that has been reduced to almost zero in recent times.
Where do you see the House in 10 years’ time?
The next change I hope to see is with respect to the quality and frequency of the laws passed in the House. As things stand, we still have a few small problems that make it difficult for members to perform their duties efficiently. The passing of bills is one of the paramount jobs of a legislator, but you find out that we are handicapped in so many ways, especially in finances. When a bill is referred to a committee, that committee has to be well funded in order to do a thorough public hearing. Many a time that money is not there. At the moment some of us are advocating that the National Assembly's finances should no longer be dependent on the executive releasing the money bit by bit. With prudent management of funds, we will achieve what we have not been able to achieve. In the next 10 years our National Assembly will be one of the best in the world. Even now we are not lagging behind. Already some parliaments – for example Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Kenya – are sending their staff to Nigeria to understudy us. In future, developed countries will surely send their staff to Nigeria for comparative analyses.
Ten years into your democracy, is the National Assembly now strong enough to resist issues that 10 or 15 years ago it couldn't?
One of the best things that ever happened to Nigeria over the past 10 years has been the stableness of our democracy. Despite some trouble in the Niger Delta – every country has its problems – for the past 10 years the economy has boomed. Investors have more confidence in Nigeria now. The past 10 years have been like a compass that investors use to monitor the direction of our nation. It is clear than in 10 years things have really changed, and I believe that in the next 10 years the Niger Delta problem will be solved. With this government’s commitment towards genuine development and its Seven Point Agenda, I believe the economy will continue be even more robust in the future.
Contact Details
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