Competence not enough, character needed for institutional integrity

The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Kamoru Ogunlana, has emphasised the place of character in helping to build the institutional integrity of the parliament.

Mr Ogunlana, who spoke at the opening ceremony of a three-day capacity training for staff of the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday, said competence alone, though critical to legislative professionalism, was not enough.

The training organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) is a series of capacity-building programmes for staff of the National Assembly aimed at enhancing professionalism, efficiency, and institutional performance within the legislature.

Represented at the occasion by the Deputy Clerk, Bashir Yero, Mr Ogunlana, a lawyer, averred that parliamentary staff must blend competence with the highest ethical standards in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The clerk warned the participants, drawn from various departments of the National Assembly, that technical skills alone are insufficient for service delivery.

“Capacity without character threatens institutional integrity,” he cautioned.

He urged the participants to take the training seriously while upholding the highest ethical standards, noting that the joint commitment to the training programme with NILDS was a demonstration of a shared vision for building an efficient and accountable legislative bureaucracy for the country.

Training, a reflection of NILDS’ commitment to strengthening NASS staff competence – DG

Declaring the training open on Monday in Abuja, the Director-General of NILDS, Abubakar Sulaiman, said the programmes reflected the institute’s enduring commitment to strengthening the competence of National Assembly staff and consolidating the foundations of Nigeria’s legislative governance.

According to Mr Sulaiman, a professor of political science and international relations, the first phase of the training covers key areas such as Lawmaking and Legislative Drafting, Official Reporting, and Library, Research, and Information Management for Organisational Performance.

The entire series, he said, would run between October and December, targeting over 700 participants across different departments of the National Assembly.

“This initiative exemplifies our partnership with the National Assembly, anchored on institutional excellence, efficiency in service delivery, and unity of purpose,” Mr Sulaiman said.

He commended Mr Ogunlana for his “collaborative spirit and exemplary leadership,” describing the synergy between both institutions as vital to building a “competent, innovative, and knowledge-driven legislative bureaucracy.”

According to the Director-General, the legislature is a dynamic institution that must continually adapt to the changing demands of governance.

He stressed that the success of any legislature depends not only on lawmakers but also on the professionalism of the staff who support them.

“The success of any legislature depends not solely on the elected representatives, but equally on the efficiency, competence, and professionalism of the bureaucratic structure that supports them,” Mr Sulaiman stated.

“To remain relevant and effective, staff must consistently upgrade their knowledge, adopt innovative approaches, and strengthen leadership and management capacities,” he said.

The programmes, Mr Sulaiman explained, were designed to address critical functional areas, including legislative administration, financial management, procurement, audit and compliance, pensions, research, and office management.

He said the overarching goal was to ensure that staff at all levels perform optimally and contribute meaningfully to achieving the National Assembly’s legislative objectives.

“At NILDS, our philosophy transcends theoretical exposition. The training modules blend conceptual frameworks with practical applications, drawing upon comparative best practices from within and outside Nigeria,” he noted.

Mr Sulaiman also underscored the importance of continuous capacity development as a cornerstone of democratic consolidation, emphasising that the partnership between NILDS and the National Assembly reflects a shared commitment to institutional renewal.

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“Capacity development is not an episodic exercise, but a continuous and indispensable process for strengthening democratic governance,” he said.

Over the years, NILDS has trained thousands of legislators, aides, and bureaucrats at the federal and state levels in areas such as leadership, research, gender inclusion, and legislative ethics.

The Director-General urged participants to take full advantage of the sessions, engage actively, and apply the knowledge gained in their respective offices.

He also expressed appreciation to the President of the Senate and Chairman of the NILDS Governing Council, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Alternate Chairman of the Council, Abbas Tajudeen, for their leadership and commitment to institutional capacity building.

The DG expressed optimism that the programmes would produce “ambassadors of excellence” who would strengthen the National Assembly’s role in advancing the country’s democratic development.