Just like yesterday, the Executive Chairman, National Assembly Service Commission NASC, Engineer Ahmed Kadi Amshi FNSE clocked two eventful years at the mantle of leadership of the commission after his appointment on the 25th February, 2020.
Inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari along with his commissioners, his mandate to reposition the bureaucracy of the hub of legislative arm of government was glaringly on course.
His appointment no doubt has restored alot of confidence not only on the part of workers of the commission, but by extension the National Assembly staffers charged with the day to day running of the legislative arm of government.
Anxious to make a difference, Amshi quickly restored the fragile confidence by the staff of the commission through welfare packages, staff reorientation and rationalization that was long overdue.
This was carried out through assertion of public service rules on the staff who are expected to put in either 35 years in service or 60 years of age in line with the service rules.
Hence , normalized the hitherto tense atmosphere in the commission on the condition of service of employees of the National Assembly and paved way for mass disengagement of those involved in either age falsification, service year manipulations that gave way to massive reorganisation of the staffers of the commission.
It was within two years under review, that Engr Ahmed Kadi Amshi led National Assembly Service Commission NASC brought on board new principal officers of the two chambers in the management of the National Assembly that rejigged service delivery to the federal lawmakers to effect quality legislation.
His decision also touched extensively mass reinvigoration and redeployment of staffs of the National Assembly and by extension the commission that promoted hardwork, dedication to duty and diligence.
Mass promotion of staffs of the commission/assembly along with financial backing and payment of arears of outstanding entitlements had being at the front burner of the current leadership.
This is in addition to training and retraining as well as conferences organised by the commission to bring on board new ideas towards satisfactory job performance in the commission.
Kadi introduced routine visits rather than just taken administrative decisions on the national assembly, to acquaint the commission of the problems and prospects particularly with direct reference to their jobs.
Worried by inadequate office accommodation, and unbefitting environment currently being occupied by the commission, he embarked and redesigned the office for a corporate look, while he immediately embarked on the construction of permanent office complex worth 11B with ground breaking ceremony at three arms zone, Abuja already performed by the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan and construction ongoing with the completion period pegged before the end of the 9th Assembly.
The new complex when completed will not only ressolve accommodation problems, but logistics and movement of of official correspondence from the commission current rented apartment office in the heart of Abuja, and also addressed the huge rent being paid, as well other problems being encountered.
Engr Kadi, a technocrat of high repute also celebrated two decades of the existence of the commission with award to deserving and posthumous award to deceased staffs of the commission, along with pioneer staffs to encourage hardwork, dedication to duty.
He created a temporary clinic at the commission that provides first aide services to workers who may have been one way or the other involved in any form of casualties while on duty, before referrals. This had assisted in no small measure and brought about job satisfaction.
The Chairman was not relentless in the last two years through advocacy, memo both in public and private capacity on the need to grant blanket not only autonomy, but establishment of States Assembly Service Commission, a situation that is gradually paying up, as most states in Nigeria, except few ones had established the states commission to guarantee legislative freedom and independence.
In the last two years, he had engaged on seminars, symposiums, workshops, talkshops and series of meetings on the workability of states assembly commission inline with the principle of separation of powers.
It is novel that Kadi introduced open and transparent bidding in accordance with public procurement act, as contractors seeking for jobs in the commission were subjected to open and unambiguous approach towards assessing goverment funds. this is encouraging in the 21st century, when most procurement in Ministries, Departments and Agencies were shrouded in secrecy.
The astute adminstrator also planned to introduce a different payment platform in line with the government pay platform known as IPPIS , so as to permanently address multiple appointments, remunerations, claims and sharp practices among many other financial transactions of the commission.
In the last two years, the commission had played host to many foreign counterparts and also visited countries for studies, interactions, awareness to enhance on the job performance.
In his words, Engr Ahmed Kadi Amshi FNSE want to see a new commission that will be responsive and responsible to the smooth running of the activities of the legislative arm of government, as well as not only an administrative independent for states assembly service commission, but financial autonomy devoid of any interferences from the executive arm.
No doubt, Kadi’s two years at the mantle of leadership has asserted the total and interrupted operation through it’s own bureaucracy and management of the National Assembly Service Commission NASC.
Written By Abubakar Yusuf.
yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.