National Assembly Service Commission has insisted that Mr Mohammed Sani-Omolori is as acting clerk to the National Assembly
NASC had appointed Mohammed Sani-Omolori as acting clerk to the National Assembly ahead of the incumbent deputy clerk to the National Assembly, Mr Ben Efeturi, a move Mr Saraki expressly rejected through a letter to the commission.
Responding to Saraki’s letter, Fika, in a leter dated April 26, said Omolori happened to be the next most senior clerk adding that the commission discovered that the incumbent deputy clerk to the National Assembly, Mr Ben Efeturi, would proceed on pre-retirement leave on August 2, 12 days before the outgoing clerk, Salisu Maikasuwa, would be due to retire.
Fika’s letter to the Senate president read in part: “I wish to kindly invite your attention to the reason alleged in your letter to have been used to deny Mr Bene Efeturi from being appointed as the acting clerk, being that he was not duly appointed as deputy clerk of the National Assembly.
“It is necessary to place on record the career progression of the two officers in the hierarchy of the National Assembly as follows:
“Deputy Director: Mr Efeturi 1st January 2004, Mr Sani-Omolori 1st January 2003; Director, Mr Efeturi 1st January 2008; Sani-Omolori, 1st January 2007. “Acting Clerk, Mr Efeturi, 4th February 2010; Sani-Omolori, 4th February 2010; substantive clerk, Mr Efeturi, 25th March, 2010; Mr Sani-Omolori, 25th March 2010.
“It should be noted that in the Nigerian public service, seniority is determined at the time of consideration for promotion and career progression chart leading to it. “Seniority has never and is never decided by the date of appointment to the service nor date of retirement from service or indeed the number of years spent in the service.
“ From that above analysis, denying Mr Mohammed Sani-Omolori appointment as deputy clerk to the National Assembly in 2014 was improper, being that he was senior to Mr Benedict Efeturi.”