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Amshi’s Transformation of NASC @25.

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11 months ago

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BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF

Nigeria’s uninterrupted nascent democracy for 25 years was celebrated on the 29th May, 2024 both by the government and the legislative arm of government geared towards taking the country beyond the silver jubilee celebration.

With this celebration, it was an indication that a successful democratic process in the last 25 years has become a veritable tool for an uninterrupted development in all facets of the country.

But the success recorded cannot be divorced from the previous handlers of various organs of government and current drivers of same organs in the present dispensation.

The National Assembly Service Commission NASC played a leading role in the thriving democracy and it’s activities, coming from an office room apartment to a state of the art edifice ready for commissioning before the end of 2024, will be the best thing that has happened to a regulatory body overseeing the day to day activities of the staffers of the National Assembly.

This is happening under the leadership of Engr Ahmed Kadi Amshi FNSE along with the six commissioners from the geopolitical zones in the country.

Coming on board after many previous predecessors in February, 2019, the current leadership had demonstrated willingness, capacity and capabilities that had led to a thrived 9th National Assembly, and the settling down of the 10th National Assembly in June,2023, spanned to a year in June, 2024.

Aside resolving the office accomodations problems and providing the needed knowledge, experience and capacity that had assisted tremendously in the workings of federal lawmakers with 109 Senators and 360 House of Representatives members, the commission had prioritized capacity building, training and retraining as the core of its programs.

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In the last few years, workers welfare and development both at home and abroad was strictly adhered to , as regular promotions, advancement as well as backlog of arears of promotions with cash backing had become a routine program of the management of the commission.

The leadership created more departments that gave room for job execution and satisfaction in line with the civil service rules.

The establishment of robust work ethics away from the previous order and punishment and reward system has encouraged performance among all cadres of staff of the commission in recent years.

The transparent and accountable procurement process instilled by the current commission had made job execution from the annual budgets seamless, and with decorum in line with the procurement law.

Aside ensuring robust performance of the immediate staff of the commission, and by extension the National Assembly which included thousands of legislative aides to the federal lawmakers, who are direct staff of the commission, before deployment to the federal lawmakers.

With constant training and retraining of staff of the commission, National Assembly, and legislative aides to the members, alot of success has been recorded in the last 25 years of the commission.

Having gone this far, the construction of the new NASC building at the three arms zone , will also reduce to the barest minimum the movement of both staff and files, as well as meetings between the management, leadership of the National Assembly, visitors and other fora between the commission and other organs of government and countries.

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Twenty five years down the line, the National Assembly Service Commission NASC cumulatively and under the leadership of Engr Ahmed Kadi Amshi FNSE and his commissioners have contributed greatly to the thriving democracy and the country at large.

Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar@gmail.com.

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National

Rivers political crisis: National Assembly to set up reconciliation committee

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34 minutes ago

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May 7, 2025

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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas says the National Assembly will set up a reconciliation committee to address the political differences in Rivers.

Abbas made this known while addressing members of the house at resumption of plenary from the Easter/Sallah break on Tuesday.

According to him, in the coming weeks, we shall work with the Senate to constitute a high-level committee on reconciliation.

”It will comprise of respected national figures that will facilitate dialogue, promote peace, and support the restoration of democratic order in Rivers and other conflict-affected regions.”

Abbas also condemned the unjustified killings of innocents Nigerians in Borno, Plateau, Benue, and Kwara by terrorists.

He noted that the resurgence of terrorist attacks in the North-East and communal clashes in Plateau have also resulted in fatalities.

”The House unequivocally condemns these attacks on innocent citizens. We acknowledge the need for renewed investment in security intelligence, surveillance technology, and inter-agency coordination.

”On behalf of the House, I extend heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and urge our security agencies not to only bring the perpetrators to justice but also redouble efforts to prevent further violence,” he said.

The speaker further said that environmental forecasts indicated that more than 30 states would face severe flooding during the upcoming rainy season.

He urged all relevant committees of the house to work with the Executive branch to review the country’s emergency preparedness, propose mitigation strategies, and provide oversight legislative frameworks on disaster risk management and climate resilience.

”As we prepare to address these immediate environmental challenges, we must also focus on our long-term legislative priorities.

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”One such priority is the ongoing work of the House Committee on the Review of the Constitution.

”This committee has been diligently engaging stakeholders across the country and is expected to achieve substantial progress in the months ahead.

”Our goal remains clear. We aim to commence and complete the constitutional amendment process in good time with broad consensus and outcomes that reflect the will of the Nigerian people,” he added.

Abbas stressed the need for the house to move decisively to expedite the consideration and passage of critical bills that directly affected Nigerians’ stability, prosperity, and well-being.

He said that key among such bills was the much-anticipated electoral reform bill, which he said was fundamental to strengthening the country’s democratic processes.

He added that the house must also prioritise legislation in areas that impact the lives of all Nigerians including unemployment, poverty alleviation, fiscal reform, healthcare, education, and security. (NAN)

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Shettima: Lawful Sharing of Secured Data Will Make Africa’s Economy Thrive

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39 minutes ago

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May 7, 2025

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Vice President Kashim Shettima has stated that African economies will thrive when the continent is able to lawfully share secured data.

He sated this in Abuja, Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA), with the theme, “Balancing Innovation in Africa: Data Protection and Privacy in Emerging Technologies” and the official launch of the Nigerian Virtual Privacy Academy (NVPA).

Represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, the vice president noted that the African economy will thrive when Africa can lawfully share secured data.

“We recognise that data is not merely a digital resource.It is a human story told in numbers. It is the fabric of trust in our economies. It is the currency of reliability in our institutions.

And as the African continental Future “Agreement expands the scale of its African exchange, our ability to share data securely and lawfully will define our capacity to thrive,” he said.

On the importance of the conference, he stated that such fora were not only welcome but essential, adding that they offer the chance to cross-pollinate ideas, to nurture human capital, and to strengthen mechanisms for mutual legal assistance.

He also spoke on the legal framework of NDPC, noting that “Nigeria’s legal framework for data protection is globally recognised as one of the most progressive.

According to the VP, “through it, we reassigned our alignment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. More importantly, our data protection ecosystem is now directly tied to the debris of the eight presidential priorities of this administration.”

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In his addresses, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani said “Nigeria is fully committed to a future where technological progress is both inclusive and a right perspective.”

“ As we digitise government services, open up digital trade corridors, and advance the need for digital identity on the platform, we must ensure that our value chains are secure, fair, and transparent.

“This is not just about the platform, but it is about trust. And without trust, the digital economy cannot scale,” he said.

While launching the NVPA, the minister said, “This end permits me to again spotlight another of our strategic steps forward, the Data Protection Virtual Academy.

“This is the world’s first initiative aimed at delivering virtual training in data protection and privacy across both the public sector and the private sector.”

The President of NADPA, Iro Adamu, who was represented by the first Vice President, Immaculate Kassait from Kenya, stated that Africa was committed to a trust worthy digital environment.

“Our presence in Abuja serves as a testament to the unity and shared aspiration of Africa. Together we are committed to advancing towards a trustworthy digital environment that safeguards the privacy of individuals.”

“Human beings, regardless of gender, share common characteristics, that it’s necessary to safeguard, preserve their rights of personal data in this evolving digital landscape,” she added

According to her, the 2026 edition would be in Ivorian capital, Abidjan

The National Commissioner of National Data Protection Council (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, in his welcome address disclosed that the Nigerian data protection sector now has a cumulative revenue of over $10 million within the space of three years, adding that the ecosystem has also created about 23,000 jobs,

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“In terms of revenue to government, within less than two years, we were able to generate over $1.2 million to government in terms of registration fee, audit filing fee, and compliance fee on the part of data controllers and processors,” he said.

He called for a deeper collaboration among African data protection authorities for enforcement cooperation, capacity building, and knowledge sharing.

European Union (EU), Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Gunter, who was represented by the EU Head of Green and Digital Economy, Inga Stefanowcz, stated that the “EU is committed to working closely with Nigeria and Africa to deepen data protection.”

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National

Tinubu sends N1.78tr FCT budget to National Assembly for approval

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41 minutes ago

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May 7, 2025

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has presented a budget of N1,783,823,708,309 as this year’s Appropriation Bill of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the National Assembly for consideration and passage.

In a letter read on the floor of the House by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, the President said the budget presentation to the National Assembly was in line with the provisions of Section 299 of the Constitution which vest the legislative function of the FCT on the National Assembly.

He said the budget would prioritise investment in health, job creation, social welfare, increase agricultural production and capital development.

According to him, 85 per cent of the capital component of the budget will be dedicated to completing ongoing projects, while the remaining 15 per cent will go for new projects.

He urged the lawmakers to expedite action in the passage of the budget.

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